The Velvet Spider: Death in a Fur Coat.

At first glance, she looks like a plush toy — soft, dark, almost cuddly. But hidden in her silk-lined fortress lies one of nature’s most secretive assassins.

This is the Velvet Spider (family Eresidae), named for her luxuriously fuzzy appearance. Found mostly in Europe and Africa, she’s not just a master weaver — she’s a sacrifice mother. After laying her eggs, the female often lets her young devour her alive, giving them the ultimate head start through matriphagy — a brutal act of love.

She’s a tunnel dweller, a patient predator, and unlike most spiders, she lives in close-knit colonies. Her venom isn’t dangerous to humans, but to insects, it’s fast and fatal.

Scientific fact: The Velvet Spider’s silk is so strong and elastic, researchers are studying it for medical sutures and bioengineering.

She may look harmless… but everything about her is evolution wrapped in elegance. Nature’s plush killer.

#WildLife #Spider #insects #Nature #Photography

 

She's a knockout! Look at her three clearly defined hearts adorning her evening attire.

 

The name Jillienne is a less common, French-inspired spelling of Jillian, which means

"youthful". Its roots come from the Latin family name Julianus, a derivative of Julius. 

Origin and meaning

Baghdad By The Bay San Francisco

 

I was speechless when I found her. This is probably the first fascinating spider I’ve ever found besides some jumpers.

 

 You don’t meet a mule like this twice in a lifetime... Standing at a towering 18.2 hands, this magnificent mule from JLS Stables is truly a gentle giant. Calm, powerful, and graceful, the presence commands attention wherever seen. It reflects the care and dedication at JLS Stables, and remains a rare sight that leaves a lasting impression.

 

During a prank, a student stuck a paper on his classmate's back that said "𝗜'𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗱", and asked the rest of the class not to tell the boy.

Thus the students began laughing on and off...

Came afternoon math class started and their teacher wrote a difficult question on the board.

No one was able to answer it except the boy with the sticker.

Amid the unexplained giggles, he walked toward the board and solved the problem.

The teacher asked the class to clap for him and remove the paper on his back.

She told him: "It seems that you don’t know about the paper your classmate has pasted on your back."

Then the teacher looked at the rest of the class and said:

"Before I give you a punishment, let me tell you 2 things:

First, throughout your Life, people will put labels on you with many nasty words to stop your progress.

Had your classmate known about the paper, he wouldn't have gotten up to answer the question.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳."

"Second, it’s clear that he doesn't have any loyal friend among you all to tell him about the sticker.

It doesn't matter how many friends you have - it is the loyalty you share with your friends that matters.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲."

Always have each others backs.

An Underwater Cemetery?

Julia Child, the renowned chef and television personality, chose a unique and fitting final resting place. Her ashes were interred in the Neptune Memorial Reef, a man-made underwater memorial off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida. This reef serves as a columbarium, where cremated remains are incorporated into the reef's structure. The reef features a personalized plaque commemorating Child's life and contributions, and it attracts various marine creatures, creating a vibrant and ecological environment. This underwater memorial is a fitting tribute to Child's love of nature and her adventurous spirit. However, she does have a gravestone in Santa Barbara, California with other relatives. 

She and husband Paul once lived in Sausalito near San Francisco. 

Baghdad By The Bay San Francisco

Pankaj Bhargava Thank you! Beautiful work!