Close up of spider
A 3X magnification view of a daddy long-legs (Pholcus phalangioides)
Andrew Posselt, courtesy of Nikon

Whether you call them daddy long-legs spiders, cellar spiders, skull spiders, or any other nickname, arachnids of the Pholcus family have long legs and a bite that doesn’t really affect humans. Andrew Posselt, a transplant surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, used image stacking to compile a detailed picture of Pholcus phalangioides at 3X magnification. The spider’s portrait took 4th place in this year’s Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.