Happy Face Spider Sticker

Happy face spiders (Theridion grallator) are a remarkable arthropod endemic to Hawaiʻi, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world! They get their name from their unique patterns on their abdomens, which can look like a smiling face. It is theorized that these different “morphs” or patterns are an evolutionary adaptation to avoid predation by birds. Happy face spiders do not use a web to capture prey, and instead are active predators that hunt at night. They are tiny little critters, growing only up to 5 millimeters long!

One of the most interesting things about happy face spiders are their parental care- female happy face spiders are great moms! They fiercely protect their eggs by carefully wrapping them in silk and aggressively fending off potential predators. Once hatched, the mother takes care of her baby “spiderlings” by catching them food. The mother will take care of her spiderlings for up to 100 days, until they are ready to hunt and survive on their own. Mothers will even adopt other happy face spiderlings and care for them!

While we know all these fascinating facts about happy face spiders, many of Hawaiʻiʻs native insects and arthropods are poorly understood, or even undescribed- meaning the species has not been defined in a scientific publication. Often overlooked, Hawaiʻiʻs native invertebrates are just as beautiful, charismatic, and illustrative of the wonder of evolution as our native birds. Many incredible species, including the happy face spider, can be found if you take the time to slow down and carefully check the underside of leaves in the forest. Maybe youʻll even find a species unknown to science!

Sticker features:

• Width: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
• Height: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
• Durable, Waterproof, Weatherproof, UV-resistant

Show your love for the Hawaiʻi's unique endemic invertebrates with this happy face spider sticker! Our stickers are waterproof, weatherproof, UV-resistant, and very durable- so stick it on your car, water bottle, laptop, notebook, or wherever your heart desires!

Sources cited:

Gillespie, R. G. (1990). Costs and benefits of brood care in the Hawaiian happy face Spider Theridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae). American Midland Naturalist, 123(2), 236. https://doi.org/10.2307/2426552

Gillespie, R. G., & Tabashnik, B. E. (1989). What makes a happy face? determinants of colour pattern in the Hawaiian happy face Spider Theridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae). Heredity, 62(3), 355–363. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1989.50 

Oxford, G. S., & Gillespie, R. G. (1996). Quantum shifts in the genetic control of a colour polymorphism in theridion grallator (Araneae: Theridiidae), the Hawaiian happy-face Spider. Heredity, 76(3), 249–256. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1996.38 

Oxford, G. S., & Gillespie, R. G. (2001). Portraits of evolution: Studies of coloration in Hawaiian spiders. BioScience, 51(7), 521. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0521:poesoc]2.0.co;2