About this photo:

This was something of a milestone for me in my spidering. This was the first time I managed to identify a spider without consulting a field guide. It wasn't the last, I hasten to add. I'm pretty good now at picking out Gasteracantha cancriformis. This spider was located near where I took the first photo of Neoscona oaxacensis, but this one was suspended in a web rather than hiding under a leaf.

Notice that this spider has only seven legs. Many times, a spider appears to have only seven legs in a photo because one of the legs is hidden from view. However, in this case, you can easily see that the right front leg is truly missing.