Free hugs!

This adorable little Jumping Spider was spotted at Los Amigos Biological Station in the Peruvian Amazon. Jumping Spiders in the genus Phiale will often walk around with their front pair of legs raised in the air and bent at a 90 degree angle, giving the impression that they’re in need of a hug.

This unusual behaviour isn’t fully understood, but it’s possible that they’re using their legs to sense vibrations in the air in order to detect prey, or perhaps in an attempt to mimic the antennae of Velvet Ants – which are renowned for their painful stings.

Either way, I reckon this habit just serves to make the world’s cutest spiders even cuter.

–

Jumping Spider (Phiale sp.), Los Amigos Biological Station, Peru