Reef Coakley

Student Geoscientist 🪨
Exploring the hidden world 🐜🐝🪲🦂🕷

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

The earth has had 5 mass extinctions, "The Big 5" and we are currently in #6.

[Nick Volpe @nvolpewild]

A NEW species of Peacock Spider, but with a sombre fate. 🌈🦚 😔

Last October, @LucynakWild, @reefcoakley and I found this incredible Peacock Spider in the dunes of Eglinton in Western Australia. The only area this spider has ever been found in is designated as a future housing development. 🏠❌

The Swan Coastal Plain is one of the most biodiverse coastal areas in the world, harbouring an immense amount of species and colours. Unfortunately, urban development has seen these dunes and other coastal habitats disappear for more and more suburbs. 🚜🌳
For thousands of years this spider and other species have co-existed in this breath-taking heathland, until we have intervened.

This year, the incredible duo of Michael Lun (photographer of this image) and Flynn Prall have gone back to the site and found more specimens. Multiple days surveying nearby habitats have resulted in no specimens. Quite a lot of Western Australia’s Peacock Spider species are short range endemics and are only found in very isolated pockets. 🕷️🦚

It is almost certain that Western Australia has lost many of these colour Peacock Spiders before they were even discovered from land clearing for agriculture and urban development. 🪓

What is going to be done about this? We seem to continuously accept the declining fates of our beautiful species.

Photo by the young and incredibly talented Michael Lun. For more of his Peacock Spider photos check out his instagram - wa_peacock_jumping_spiders 🕷️🌈

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

Gum Snout Moth caterpillar 🐛🐛
(Entometa guttularis) feeding on gumtree

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

Birds, birds, birds

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@nvolpewild YESSSSSSSS

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

Look at how vibrant this hopper is 🦗🟠

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@CAARIU HAHAHA

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

Now that's some extreme camouflage 🦗

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@stickminflame That's a rock, sir

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@Cyan_ayed Hahaha glad I won't be the only one

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@rosy_maple_moth That's it! Cryptic little hopper 🪨

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@nvolpewild Should've just got @LucynakWild haha

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@ngfl3333 Wowowowowowow 😍

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

A gorgeous scenery with an even more gorgeous cockroach 🪳

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

@ThomasShahan WOW!

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

If spiders had nationalities this wrap-around spider would be Maltese because its so hot! 🔥

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

Maratus unicup
My mind was literally blown when I saw this species for the first time.
If the Aztecs created a spider, this would be it!

[Reef Coakley @reefcoakley]

Maratus speciosus 🦚
My first ever peacock spider! Setting the path for an unbelievable week finding some of Australias most amazing Maratus!
The screaming was just as spectacular
@nvolpewild @LucynakWild