White-banded fishing spider leg, SEM

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of White-banded fishing spider (Dolomedes albineus). Shown in this image are the sensory hairs of the leg femur. The genus Dolomedes is a group of large spiders in the family Pisauridae. They are commonly known as fishing spiders. Almost all Dolomedes species are semi-aquatic, with the exception of the which can also be tree-dwelling in the southwestern United States. Many species have a striking pale stripe down each side of the body. Dolomedes spiders feed by waiting at the edge of a pool/stream, then when they detect the ripples from the prey, they run across the surface to subdue it using their foremost legs and small claws. They then inject venom with their hollow jaws to kill and digest the prey. They mainly eat insects, but some larger species are able to catch small fish. Magnification: x32 when shortest axis printed at 25 millimetres.