Latest Spider Stories
Do we now need to worry about vampire spiders? Well, only if you live in New Zealand and are a female mosquito. Picky eaters by any standards, E. culicivora jumping spiders, also known as vampire spiders, feed almost exclusively on female mosquitoes, which are filled with blood from their victims. Ximena Nelson from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, says, “You can see from the diet when you find them in the field that there is a high number of mosquitoes in what they eat”....
Velvet spiders include some of the most beautiful arachnids in Europe and some of the world's most cooperative species. Social species can be very abundant in parts of tropical Africa and Asia with conspicuous colonies dotting the landscape. Social colonies may consist of hundreds of closely-related individuals that participate in dramatic mass attacks on prey and care for their young. The ecology of these social species is fascinating and has been the subject of several landmark scientific...
A new species discovered from a college town backyard [ Watch the Video ] Researchers at Auburn University have reported the discovery a new trapdoor spider species from a well-developed housing subdivision in the heart of the city of Auburn, Alabama. Myrmekiaphila tigris, affectionately referred to as the Auburn Tiger Trapdoor spider, is named in honor of Auburn University's costumed Tiger mascot, Aubie. The research team, directed by Biological Sciences professor Jason Bond, lead...
The Life, Earth and Health Sciences Magazine publishes insights into specific subjects of all areas of natural science. The latest review covers False Widow Spider which is named after the behavior of the female of eating the male after mating and Glabella which is the space between the eyebrows and above the nose in humans. Mannheim, Germany (PRWEB) April 26, 2012 The Life, Earth and Health Sciences Magazine publishes insights into subjects in all areas of natural sciences including...
Discerning males remain faithful...if you are a spider. Sex for male orb web spiders (Argiope bruennichi) is a two shot affair since the act of mating destroys their genitalia. If they survive being eaten during their first encounter with a female, they have two choices – to mate again with the same female (monogynous) or try to find a new partner (bigynous). New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Frontiers in Zoology shows that choice of mating behavior for A....
ePals Brings Award-Winning Magazines to First Book WASHINGTON, April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- First Book, the nonprofit that provides books to kids in need, will now be offering Cricket and other award-winning kid's magazines from ePals to the 27,000 schools and programs in its national network. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101214/DC17316LOGO-b) "These are amazing titles: high-quality, award-winning and loved by both children and teachers," said Kyle...
According to new research published in the journal Naturwissenschaften, spiders do not stick to their own webs because of the way they move. The spiders ability to not stick to its own web was originally attributed to a special coating on their legs. However, researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and University of Costa Rica used modern imaging technology to record close-up footage that better explains the ability. The team combined a video camera and a...
The Life, Earth and Health Sciences Magazine EurekaMag.com publishes insights into specific subjects of all areas of natural science. The latest review cover Carbon Footprint which is the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person, False Widow Spider which are named after the behavior of the female of eating the male after mating, and Silene Stenophylla which is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae and grows in the...
New research has revealed that spider silk carries amazing physical properties, according to a new paper published in the journal Advanced Materials. Xinwei Wang, who wanted to take a closer look at spider webs, ordered eight Nephila clavipes, commonly known as golden silk orbweavers. He put them to work eating crickets and spinning webs so their materials and habits could be studied. Wang, who is an associate profess of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University studies thermal...
New species of parasitic spider flies discovered in Australia Spider flies are a rarely collected group of insects. Adults are considered important pollinators of flowers, while larvae live as internal parasitoids of juvenile spiders. Eight genera are recorded in Australasia, including four genera in the subfamily Panopinae, a group of large, hairy, often metallic colored adults whose larvae specialize as parasitizing mygalomorph spiders such as tarantulas, trap door and funnel web...
Latest Spider Reference Libraries
Image Caption: House Centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata. Credit: Bruce Marlin/Wikipedia (CC BY 3.0) Scutigera coleoptrata is one of many species of house centipedes. This species is native to the Mediterranean, but it is capable of moving to other region of the world including most of Europe, South America, North America, and Asia. It is thought to have first ventured from its native range into Mexico and Guatemala, and its range has now stretched into Argentina in the south and Canada in...
Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related specimens: including scorpions, pseudo-scorpions and harvestmen. These animals are collectively known as arachnids. Ticks and mites, on the other hand, although are in the arachnid family, do not typically fall under archeology studies; these small creatures are usually studied under Acarology. Arachnology derives from the Greek words arachne (meaning spider), and logia (meaning sayings). People who study spiders and other...
The Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus) is an ordinary household jumping spider. In the same vein as other jumping spiders, this spider does not build a web. Four pairs of large eyes allow the Zebra spider to quickly locate prey, pounce, and hunt. It has been noted and observed by humans that the Zebra spider is considered curious and cat-like while hunting. This spider seems to be aware of its audience and the spider responds to his audience by lifting his head and studying its observers....
The Redbacked Jumping spider (Phidippus johnsoni) is one of the largest and most common jumping spiders in the western parts of North America. It is not to be mistaken for the highly venomous and unrelated Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti). The Redbacked Jumping spider may inflict a painful bite in self defense if threatened, although there are not any serious medical consequences. Adult Redbacked Jumping spiders are usually about 0.4 inches in length. Although the female has an...
The yellow sac spider (Cheiracanthium punctorium) is a spider that is found from Central Asia to central Europe. The yellow sac spider can reach about 0.6 inches in length. This spider can penetrate the human skin. The bite of this spider may feel similar to a wasp sting though it may be a bit more severe, however susceptible persons may have stronger reactions such as nausea. Female yellow sac spiders build about a 4 centimeter egg-sac in tall grass. It is aggressively defended and opens...
