Tailless Whip Spider molt - UP CLOSE

Giant Tanzanian Tailless Whipspider (Damon diadema, Order: Amblypygi) molts.

Points of interest:
0:22 Like all spiders and scorpions, the whipspider molts by pushing out the carapace at the back. Here you see the beginnings of that process as the carapace separates along the seam. You can see the new eyes fall away from the lenses embedded in the old skin. The flexible new carapace is an opaque white in stark comparison to the dark coloration of a hardened carapace.

1:34 The yellow body fluids can be seen through the soft transparent skin as the whipspider sequentially undulates its limbs slowly working them free.

1:56 The fine hairs on the body and surrounding the mouth parts are red-orange at this stage, and the abdomen a beautiful blue-green.

2:41 Slowly the whipspider works the limbs closer to freedom, the long spines on the raptorial claws springing out in their rubbery state, finally to drop free.

3:10 My favorite part! With its limbs now free it flexes them in a creepy little dance of rebirth. Simultaneously, and more subtly, it begin a very unique process. The extremely long feelers cannot be extracted as the rest of the limbs had been, by using gravity to assist as the body's mass drops lower away from the old skin, so the whipspider uses its raptorial claws to delicately pull them, one then the other, until they are finally free.

4:43 Now completely free of the old skin it drops away.

4:57 Two hours later the carapace is an odd shade of pale blue as it slowly hardens. The back and abdomen is now an ever darkening green with the yellow innards showing through. But most interesting of all, fluids can be seen traveling along the lengths on the striped legs!

5:30 Finally the freshly molted whipspider is shown on my hand for size reference.

... ... ...

Soundtrack by Precarious

[precarious]

I know it sounds delusional and insane to suggest Bjork based the look of Vulnicura on this video but that's the truth. I couldn't imagine a bigger honor. I was unaware until she licensed this video for use during performances. Then I noticed these statements by those who work with her.



As Björk Opens at MoMA, Behind the Scenes of Her Most Iconic Images
...
"Björk sent a beautiful video of a spider molting out of its own skin and becoming translucent, and then filling up with color again. For her, that was really the basis of the imagery around this album, this transformation and soft, waxy, yellow-pink coloring—and again, the idea of having emotions circling around her. She said she wanted to have a wound on her body, on her heart area, in an abstract way."
...



The Peculiar Genius of Björk
...
I was lucky to meet Björk at a moment when the story of her new album had not been set. She described the video for “Black Lake, ” directed by Huang and influenced by Ingmar Bergman, as operatic in scale but also stark, centered on her voice and her performance. “Like a black-and-white psychology movie, ” she said, and then laughed. “I don’t know why that was funny.” Huang told me of a wound motif, of a clip she had sent him of a spider molting, of the album’s thematic use of lilac and yellow.
...



Björk is a captivating spider creature in the new Lionsong video
...
Björk season is upon us, and today brings the first official video from the fantastical, MoMA-featured musician's recent album Vulnicura. The visual for "Lionsong" features Björk dancing in an eerily lit space while wearing a pleather body suit and a dandelion-esque crown of thorns — a nod to the Vulnicura album art.

"Björk’s character for 'Lionsong' had to be smooth like a spider waiting in her web and seductive like a Balinese dancer cast in bronze, " the video's directors, Inez and Vinoodh, told Noisey. "She is seen as if under a microscope, baring her heart while luring us inside the bloody galaxy of her own wound."
...



Björk: Family (moving album cover)

You see the molting process artistically interpreted in this video; the shallow depth of field in the opening shots of the dead, black carapace, she's upside down, the split in the chest where she was wounded used to escape rather than the back as it is for insects, her fingers drawing out the threads in much the same way the whipspider draws out its long feelers, and the motion of her hands as she sows up her wound is reminiscent of the whipspider feeling its new body with its feet.



Björk Debuts Virtual Reality "Stonemilker" Video
...
My experience with Bjork that summer involved her wearing a fitted sculptural black dress, pounding her chest in frigid temperatures, reliving her separation on camera while kneeling in a jagged ravine carved away by glaciers.

The woman we found in November was much different: her home was adorned with lilac candles, the air was moist and thick with neon yellow garments hanging and the tables covered in creamy lilac latex. There was a feeling of soft, translucent skinlike textures everywhere, evoking a sense of healing, molting and nakedness. This was the new Bjork we captured in "Stonemilker."
...

[carnifex]

there is a certain, vastly unappreciated beauty in arthropods.

[HeilielPrince]

i found the fluid movement very very interesting especially after my research on how spiders have a kind of hydraulic type system to move around. 

[precarious]

Points of interest:
0:22 Like all spiders and scorpions, the whipspider molts by pushing out the carapace at the back. Here you see the beginnings of that process as the carapace separates along the seam. You can see the new eyes fall away from the lenses embedded in the old skin. The flexible new carapace is an opaque white in stark comparison to the dark coloration of a hardened carapace.

1:34 The yellow body fluids can be seen through the soft transparent skin as the whipspider sequentially undulates its limbs slowly working them free.

1:56 The fine hairs on the body and surrounding the mouth parts are red-orange at this stage, and the abdomen a beautiful blue-green.

2:41 Slowly the whipspider works the limbs closer to freedom, the long spines on the raptorial claws springing out in their rubbery state, finally to drop free.

3:10 My favorite part! With its limbs now free it flexes them in a creepy little dance of rebirth. Simultaneously, and more subtly, it begin a very unique process. The extremely long feelers cannot be extracted as the rest of the limbs had been, by using gravity to assist as the body's mass drops lower away from the old skin, so the whipspider uses its raptorial claws to delicately pull them, one then the other, until they are finally free.

4:43 Now completely free of the old skin it drops away.

4:57 Two hours later the carapace is an odd shade of pale blue as it slowly hardens. The back and abdomen is now an ever darkening green with the yellow innards showing through. But most interesting of all, fluids can be seen traveling along the lengths on the striped legs!

5:30 Finally the freshly molted whispider is shown on my hand for size reference.

...   ...   ...

Soundtrack by Precarious

[precarious]

Woo-hoo! This little girl is now carrying eggs! She's gonna have Bjork babies!

[Porceliankitty]

damn their molting process is like taking their armor off.... so beautifully done

[Josh-lelu]

How it feels to step out of your power armor.

[Inferion]

Amazing sound, perfect shots, this is a masterpiece!

[MonkeyKex]

Whip spiders are amazing. Recently got one as a pet. They are the sweetest, most docile creatures. Don't let their demonic appearance fool you, they are really just shy little sweethearts.

[homi]

Probably one of the coolest looking spiders.

[zoharborage]

WOW, thank you so much precarious!!!

Many people don't get to see such events, I'm grateful for your videos.

Every so often I'm reminded that everything can be gentle in someway.

[cekdark]

I can't imagine how you get these videos. They don't get the attention they deserve.  Every one surprises me, thank you.

[lex]

It's increadible the close-up shots you have in your videos.
Professional level!

[MakeItExtraJuicy]

Are these creatures powered by hydraulics?! Amazing!
And also got some very unsettling but not unfitting giygas vibes from this music...

[AquaTerra-Life]

Wow! This is one amazing video! great footage and awesome macro shots.

[DMarks]

Now that I finally know that this video is the basis of Vulnicura's visuals, everything has suddenly clicked into place! I feel like every aesthetic motif of that album's artwork, videos and performances can be tied back somehow to this incredible process of rejuvenation - thank you for this footage and for inspiring my favourite Bjork era xx

[Roachrancher]

5:22 Is that the hemolymph that goes through its veins?? Holy crap its awesome!

[summercucumber]

This was beautifully put together and the whole process is so wonderfully alien and fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

[serbrofist]

Stunningly beautiful! Feels like I am watching the rebirth of some sort of deific being :)

[PenanggalanMonster]

This is INCREDIBLE... far better than my video, I was too afraid to disturb him so I filmed through foggy glass. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing act from an amazing creature <3