Hi, my name is Bianca and I live in Sydney.  I’m new to bug life. I’ve always loved animals and nature but my buggin’ and macro photography story really only started this year.  I’ve been helping my son Toby do a major Year 6 project, producing an insect-themed macro photography exhibition. My photography experience is very limited, I’m learning as I go. Bridgette, my sister, from Aussie Macro Photos played a part in both our journeys as she was already an experienced photographer in this field. She inspired and very patiently guided us to this point.

My main interest has become not an insect, but a spider. Maratus to be exact, and I’m on the hunt for them!  They are commonly known as a Peacock Jumping Spider. A bit surprising as I’ve always considered myself somewhat of an arachnophobe. But now I enjoy photographic little jumping spiders. I was surprised at how cute they are when you zoom in, and the Maratus spider species would have to be some of the cutest and most fascinating! As I learned more about these incredible tiny creatures, I started thinking about how amazing it would be, if I could one day actually find one! But these are rare and usually very difficult to find. A needle in a haystack. And you need to first find the right haystack! Maratus are usually only discoverable in the latter part of their life cycles at the end of spring, and being only millimetres in size, this is a mission that I thought could maybe even take me years to accomplish! Hopefully, if and when it does happen, I will be able to get a photograph. I look forward to sharing my journey with you!

Meanwhile here are a couple of shots of a Servaea species jumping spider that I found just outside my house.