Doesn't this thing remind you of a xenomorph? The elongated prosoma in uniform black obscures the tiny eyes and cloaks a pair of fangs that dangle between the mouthparts. There are no protruding jaws to disembowel prey, but these spiders wield venom that rapidly paralyses small creatures before a strong digestive juice is added to dissolve living flesh into liquid protein.
About an inch long, these fearsome looking sac spiders (Castianeira sp.) are often seen clambering with untoward haste on boardwalk railings or over waist-level vegetation, their forelegs aloft in apparent mimicry of ants. A looming shadow usually triggers an acceleration in pace that is positively dizzying for the viewer if not the spider. But for once, this individual thought it more prudent to stay still than run like a possessed duck, allowing brief moments of magnified portraiture. Some members of its family are known for bites that cause necrosis or at the very least, days of severe pain and nausea. The genus may well be less potent, but it can surely hurt little to ascertain the threat posed by this dark beast to fingers or fowl.
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