Top and middle images.
Leitz Ortholux microscope
4X Leitz projection eyepiece plus 1/3x relay lens
Leitz 4X Plan fluorite objective.
Image stack, (Top image) 62 images at .0005 inch increments.
Image stack, (middle image) 58 images at .001 inch increments.
Reflected light, diffused fiber optic illumination
Canon 50D
Zerene and Photoshop processing.
Live subjects-sedated.
Bottom image.
Leitz Ortholux microscope
4X Leitz projection eyepiece plus 1/3x relay lens
Olympus 10X Plan achromat objective.
Image stack, 87 images at 5 micron increments.
Reflected light, diffused fiber optic illumination
Canon 50D
Zerene and Photoshop processing.
Live subject-sedated.
These spiderlings are in a diffuse maze of a nursery web that to the naked eye looks like nothing is there. It is so tightly spun that nothing larger than a millimeter can pass through. This is no problem for the spiderlings with a leg span of under 0.5 mm. They manage to move around quite easily, full protected from predators. The brown mass to the left in the middle image is the egg sack from which these subjects emerged. The lower subject is the same as the one in the lower left of the top image.
You may also pay notice that like a human baby with highly flexible arms and legs, the spiderlings unlike their older parents, have remarkably flexible leg joints and legs.
Clear shots are difficult due to the number of layers of web material out of focus between the objective and subject.
Walt
