Proud Mother - _TNY_5621S2
Two exposure focus stack of a female Acantholycosa lignaria wolf spider with the next generation clinging on to her abdomen.
As they often do, this mom have a bit separation anxiety and is still holding on to the egg sac which provides a good look of how it has ruptured along the side.
The reason for the blue legs is simply that the hemolymph (ie arthropod equivalence of blood) is showing through the outer shell of the legs. Unlike our blood which contains an iron-based protein hemoglobin, these guys have a copper-based one called hemocyanin which turns blue when oxygenated.
Proud Mother - _TNY_5621S2
Two exposure focus stack of a female Acantholycosa lignaria wolf spider with the next generation clinging on to her abdomen.
As they often do, this mom have a bit separation anxiety and is still holding on to the egg sac which provides a good look of how it has ruptured along the side.
The reason for the blue legs is simply that the hemolymph (ie arthropod equivalence of blood) is showing through the outer shell of the legs. Unlike our blood which contains an iron-based protein hemoglobin, these guys have a copper-based one called hemocyanin which turns blue when oxygenated.