These Spiders Look Like They're Covered In Mirrors

These spiders are very unique. They may look like some piece of delicate jewelry, but in fact they’re a rare species of spider. They’re called mirror or sequined spiders and belong to the hwaitesia genus. This genus features spiders with reflective silvery patches on their abdomen.

The scales look like solid pieces of mirror glued to the spider's back, but they can actually change size depending on how threatened the spider feels. The reflective scales are composed of reflective guanine, which these and other spiders use to give themselves color. Not much information is available about these wonderful spiders, but the dazzling specimens in these photos were photographed primarily in Australia and Singapore.