The Cuban endemic Bee Hummingbird is, at 5 centimeters (2.0″), the smallest bird in the world. The jumping spider Talavera minuta, at 2 millimeters, could easily ride on the back of the hummingbird with four dozen or so of its kin. In the field I am continually surprised by the minute size of some salticids. And their size contributes, I think, to the sense of wonder many of us feel about these spiders. Although humans have no problem seeing smaller objects, when we look at T. minuta we can make out the details of shapes and of colors. We can also watch the spider leap on its prey and wave its tiny palps. At a size close to the limits of where we can still comfortably resolve details this lilliputian organism is an affirmation of life’s diversity and evokes our wonder. Two researchers studying the nests of Phidippus johnsoni report finding the nest of T. minuta, including its tiny occupant, inside the nest of its larger relative.
Jackson and Griswold, 1979