Ever wonder what spider silk looks like up close? Like, really up close? The winner of this year’s Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition will surely sate your curiosity.

The image above, aptly named “Mesmerizing Spider Threads,” showcases the intricate, looping fibers of Australian net-caster spider ( Asianopis subrufa ) silk in exquisite detail. Unlike typical web-building arachnids, net-casters hold a specialized, sticky net between their four front legs, then throw it over their insect prey. Their silk has evolved to be very strong and stretchy to support this maneuver.

“Just from observing the behavior, we knew something spectacular was going to be there,” photographer Martín Ramírez, a research scientist for CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Co

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