Nina 🌿
LightNews LightNews
banner
ninasch.bsky.social
Nina 🌿
@ninasch.bsky.social
520 followers 310 following 330 posts
She/her –
Studying Psychology / Philosophy.

Based in Switzerland.
(I have a thing for spiders.)
Posts Replies Media Videos
ninasch.bsky.social
Been busy writing essays and studying for uni, but haven't entirely missed out on meeting some of the locals.

One I haven't seen in quite a while are the bigger 'classical' house spiders, such as Eratigena/Tegenaria presumably pictured below.

#SpiderSky #spiders #inverts #arachnids 🕷️🌿
A spider (possibly Tegenaria or Eratigena species) sitting near the elevator inside a building. The metallic surface it sits on is white in colour, while the spider has an earthy brown appearance. An interesting brighter pattern is visible on top of the spider's abdomen. Relatively big leg to body ratio. Slightly hairy to better feel and navigate its environment.
November 16, 2025 at 10:30 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
An orb weaving spider by the bus stop, covered in small rain droplets 🥹

(Presumed Larinioides sp.)

#Arachtober #arachnids #inverts #spiders #SpiderSky
Juvenile spider (orb weaving species) covered in rain drops.
October 30, 2025 at 6:55 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Nuctenea umbratica.

These spiders may look terrifying, but they're absolute sweethearts. ♥️🕷️

This is likely one of Mother's offspring. "Mother" was the N. umbratica that I observed for nearly two years before she passed.

#SpiderSky #OrbWeaver #Spiders #invertebrates #Arachtober #arachnids
Orb weaver Nuctenea umbratica frontal view. A very flat, dark brown to black spider. Sitting on a metal ring that holds a sign post. The spider was previously hiding in the crevice between ring and post. Some of these spiders are curious enough that if you exhale very lighly onto them (so they can sense you), they might leave the crevice to see what's going on, just like this one did. Same spider (Nuctenea umbratica) from the top. The pattern of an oak leaf (folium) drawn on its abdomen, indicated by white lines on both sides.
October 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Oh, to be a spider and rest in a flower's petal...

#Arachtober #SpiderSky #Spiders #inverts #nature #flowers 🌸💭
A spider curled up beneath soft webbing on a flower's white petal. Same spider, legs slightly stretched out in front. Looking cozy.
October 21, 2025 at 9:29 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Today, I present to you a gorgeous male Larinioides sp.

As adults, male orb weavers will leave their webs to look for a female. This is why one encounters male spiders strolling about.

They mean no harm. They are just looking for love.

#SpiderSky #Arachtober
#inverts #spiders ♥️🕷️
Frontal view of male orb weaver (Larinioides sp.) gazing into the camera. The spider has a brownish red colouration and light brown patterns. Dorsal view of same spider. Males of this genus have quite long legs compaired to the females. This is nicely visible on this photograph since all four legs on one side are neatly stretched out. One the other side the first leg is angled, possibly providing the spider a better hold onto the wall it sits on.
October 15, 2025 at 8:34 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
A green crab spider that me and the husband encountered on our walk through the woods the other day.
(assumed Diaea dorsata)

#SpiderSky #Arachtober #Spiders #inverts #CrabSpider
Frontal view of crab spider (assumed Diaea dorsata) on a leaf. Green prosoma, brown eye region, brown patterned legs. Same crab spider dorsal (top) view. First two pair of legs stretched out in a fashion which makes the spider appear crab like.
October 14, 2025 at 5:57 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Today, a pancake.

Assumed subadult Nuctenea umbratica.
Orb weaving spider. Primarily nocturnal.
A personal favourite.

Very flat.
Very cute.
10/10

#SpiderSky #inverts 🌿🕷️
#Arachtober #Arachnids #spiders
Dorsal (top) view of a subadult Nuctenea species. Possibly Nuctenea umbratica, since they are commonly encountered in my area. Lateral (side) view of the assumed subadult Nuctenea umbratica.
October 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Found a friend enjoying the sun today.
(assumed Pardosa sp.)

#arachtober 🕷️🌿
#spiderSky #wolfspider
Front view of a tiny brown wolf spider. Top view of same tiny brown wolf spider.
October 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
It's dangerous to go alone. Here, take this moth with you.

#nature #teamMoth 🦋🪲
#bugs #insects #photography
Lateral (side) view of a brown moth. A fuzzy first pair of legs stretched before it. Small, equally fuzzy face with big dark eyes and feathery antennae. Same moth dorsal (top) view. Very fuzzy. Big stretch included. 10/10, would recommend encountering.
October 5, 2025 at 8:32 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
I really enjoy my undergrad studies a whole lot more when I get to see silly illustrations of spiders 🕷️

Happy #Arachtober everyone!
Two people standing in front of a giant spider, while one person says: "I've narrowed it down to two hypotheses: it grew or we shrunk."
September 30, 2025 at 10:12 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
An animal that I feared as a kid: The harvestman.

Interestingly, they aren't spiders! They neither have the ability to inject venom nor produce any type of silk. A 'typical' thing for spiders.

They are completely harmless to humans 😌

#arachnids #inverts
#opiliones #LegsForDays
A harvestman, possible Phalangium sp., sitting on the outside wall of a building. The chelicerae on this specimen seem very pronounced.
September 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Met someone new today! A weevil!
(possible lixus sp.)

When I tell you, this little guy wouldn't want to have his picture taken! He always tried to face away from me. But, with quite a bit of patience, I got some pictures out of it.

#bugs #weevil #insects
#inverts #LongBoy 🌿🪲
Long, darkish weevil with a silvery line running along its side. Same weevil but closer.
September 20, 2025 at 6:20 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Happy #Flyday 🤗

Here, we've got the Bumble Bee "Bombus pascuorum" performing its work like the professional it is.

#BumbleBee #insects
#Bugs #PollinatingInsteadOfHating
Lateral view of a comon carder bee (Bombus pascuorum) landing on a red clover (Trifolium pratense). Wings still in an upright position. Head in the game. Same bee with relaxed wings, going to work on the inflorescence of the clover.
September 19, 2025 at 8:55 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
What has eight legs and is really hard to capture? The answer mite suprise you 🤭

This tiny arachnid belongs to the family Trombidiidae, the true (or red) velvet mites.

They are rather big mites compared to others, but boy, can they be quick!

#mites #arachnids #inverts #TheMovingNoNoButton
A red velvet mite crawling on top of a tiny rock. Same mite crawling down from the rock.
September 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Local web developer / landscaping artist looking for a spider lady.

Spiders of genus Larinioides often spend their time building magnificent orb webs. But not adult males. They are looking for love. Just like the guy pictured below. 🕷️🌿

#spiderSky #inverts #arachnids
Male spider (Larinioides sp.) sitting in a corner between wall and metal door frame, presumably resting. Dark brown base colour with lighter markings.
September 16, 2025 at 9:07 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
This is really cool, but I hate the fact that such things spread with AI imagery.

The real spider pictured below:

(Decoy is larger than actual spider and way more impressive IMHO.)

#SpiderSky #inverts #arachnids

📷 : Phil Torres (Educator/Biologist) & Jeff Cremer (Wildlife Photographer)

[1/2]
Picture by Phil Torres, educator and biologist. The image shows a tiny spider sitting above its spider-like decoy built out of dead insects, leaves, and other debris. Image by wildlife photographer Jeff Cremer. Spider also sitting above its decoy.
September 14, 2025 at 8:42 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Hang in there 🕷️🌿

Which way is up?
Does it even matter?

Don't let their stance fool you. They are insanely quick. Trust me, I know.
I exhaled slightly too hard onto her web, making her bolt towards me.

All she wanted was a snack 😭

#SpiderSky #inverts #arachnids #WebDevelopersInYourArea #spiders
Frontal view of a sheetweb(?) spider. Upside down. Well, not for you, but for the spider. How the spider actually sits in its web. Upside down. Dorsal / lateral view of the same spider. This picture was a bit harder to snap.
September 11, 2025 at 9:07 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Pisaura mirabilis on the hunt. You wouldn't believe how fascinating these spiders are!

As an example: Adult male spiders will hunt prey, wrap it up, and then offer it as a 'gift' to a female to initiate courtship.

#SpiderSky #inverts #spiders 🌿🕷️
Dorsal view of Pisaura mirabilis. Hanging upside down from the inflorescense of a white clover (trifolium repens). Lateral view of Pisaua mirabilis.
September 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Blink and you miss them!

With roughly 3mm in length, the jumping spider pictured is no longer than half the size of a grain of rice.

But don't let their size fool you. They chase their meals by active pursuit, just like any other jumper.

#SpiderSky #JumpingSpiders #FlyCatcherDeluxe #inverts 🌿🕷️
Small jumping spider sitting on a pebble. Its overall colouration is a light earth brown with white pedipalps.
September 9, 2025 at 9:01 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
The latest leaf though 👀

And with the new phone camera, one can even see the beautiful red veins.

I cannot believe the previous update was only just about a month ago.

#houseplants #alocasia 🌿
Alocasia azlanii. Dark leaf with red veins.
September 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Just a branch, nothing to see here. Move along 👀

A Tetragnatha trying to hide by stretching itself along a dead branch. Hence its common name "stretch spider".

To be fair, if it weren't for the flies caught in its web, I wouldn't have noticed my friend there.

#spiders #spidersky #inverts 🌿
The spider in question, neatly stretched along the branch of a dry shrub. Same spider. Lateral view. Insanely long first two pair of legs, stretched out as far as they allow. This is a good branch.
September 4, 2025 at 9:01 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
After 9 years, I had to replace my old phone. Needless to say, I enjoy the overall image quality of the new device.

Here, a picture of a jumping spider I met this morning. #jumpingspider #inverts #spiders #arachnids
Small jumping spider. Brown in colouration with light brown to white-ish pedipalps. Gazing past the camera.
September 4, 2025 at 8:48 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Hi, I'm Nina 👋🏻
and this is a new introduction.

Former architectural draftswoman and current hobby naturalist, now pursuing a BSc in psychology.

Here, I mainly post about critters with a few too many legs that we must honour and protect at all costs. (Occasional ramblings might be included).
Image of a pug named Alice (runs the show) sitting on a concrete block. Her emotional support human (account owner) right next to her. A picture of a critter I love to talk about are spiders. The image here depicts a rather large, dark jumping spider gazing directly into the camera. This is Evarcha acuata (ger. "Dunkler Sichelspringer"), one of my favourite encounters. @salticidaeily on Tumblr told me that "This is the very species which inspired fascinating recent studies about spiders' ability to sleep and enter REM-like states!" I mean, how cool is that? Humans enter REM states when we are dreaming. This could imply that spiders experience dream like states just like we do!
September 2, 2025 at 10:04 AM
ninasch.bsky.social
Is that... a mosquito?
I didn't know they came in colours???

#BugSky #bugs #insects #inverts 🌿🪲
I honestly have no idea what I'm trying to describe here. Imagine a mosquito. The ones I'm familiar with usually come in black. This one seems to have a green thorax with an orange spot where the wings are attached. The abdomen is striped in a green tint and light grey. Very fancy antennae. They look like giant feathers. The insect itself rests on a ligustrum vulgaris leaf. Lateral view. Dorsal view of oddly fancy mosquito.
August 12, 2025 at 7:53 PM
ninasch.bsky.social
Met a new friend today!

Here we have a lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus). This is the first time I got to see a stag beetle up close, too.

This little guy was nice enough to let me take a few pictures. What a cool bug.

#beetle #invertebrates #bug #insects #nature 🌿🪲
Dorsal view of beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus. Lateral view of the beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus. Frontal view of the beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus.
August 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM