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Beckett Robertson's Image
Beckett Robertson (Canada) finds an amblypygid on a cave ceiling in the Dominican Republic.
Beckett had to position himself carefully between the stalactites and stalagmites, as the cave was full of spiders.
The amblypygids’ antenna-like legs were in constant motion, but eventually stopped long enough for him to take this image.
Amblypygids can be found in caves, crevices, under leaf litter and even in termite nests.
They belong to a group of animals also known as whip spiders.
Their front pair of legs have evolved into long, whip-like limbs they use as sensors.
Behind the lens
Beckett Robertson
Canada
Beckett is a passionate conservation and nature advocate, with a particular focus on the importance of insects and arachnids to our global ecosystem. He’s been a Junior and Teen Kingston Field Naturalist for 12 years. Beckett has photographed arthropods all over the world, including in Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Singapore, Thailand and USA. He’s an aspiring entomologist and was a Digitisation Technician in the Entomology Department at the Royal Ontario Museum during the summer of 2023.
Image details
- OM System OM-1
- 60mm f2.8 macro lens
- 1/400 at f10 • ISO 250 • Godox TT350 O flash + Cygnustech macro diffuser
- Cueva Boulevard del Atlántico, Samaná, Dominican Republic
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