Wildlife Photographer Of The Year #58

My picture “When spiders get together” has been awarded highly commended in the “Wildlife Photographer Of The Year #58” competition.

Roman Willi (Switzerland) documents a rarely seen moment between two mating spitting spiders.

Roman kept returning to this spot, keen to document spitting spider behaviour and share the wonder of arachnids. They are ‘misunderstood,’ says Roman, and ‘need our help in conservation’. Roman’s perseverance was rewarded when he witnessed this rarely observed scene.

Spitting spiders are named after their behaviour of squirting a sticky substance at their prey to immobilise it. To mate, the male loads its two pedipalp appendages with sperm. The female rises and the male inserts these into the genital opening on the female’s abdomen. The female can store sperm for several months before laying eggs in a cocoon, which it then carries until the eggs hatch.

To attend the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year award ceremony in the Natural History Museum London in person was truly a dream come true. I am so honored to be part of this amazing selection of images and for all the incredible people I have met. Seeing my picture in the exhibition next to Karine Aigner’s overall winning shot was a surreal experience. I want to congratulate all the winners and hope that the images selected will create positive change for wildlife conservation. I believe that as wildlife photographers we play a crucial role in conservation by showing all the incredible creatures living on our planet.

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year #58 Exhibition — My picture in the exhibition

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year #58 Award Ceremony — Together with photographers

On 10.11.2022 I talked at the Vernissage of the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Exhibition at the Natural History Museum Basel about my awarded picture.