First Spiders

This is a photograph of Cybaeus signifer, a spider found under logs in moist forests all along British Columbia’s coast. Its ancestors—the first spiders—evolved at least 380 million years ago from their crab-like relatives.  Estimates suggest there are over 1,000 species of spiders (Araneae) in BC today; approximately 800 have so far been recorded and many habitats in the province have never been sampled. Bust some spider myths and appreciate more about these eight-legged animals by visiting here.