Oldest spider on record
Okay, I’ll admit it, I am terrified of spiders. So the news of a trapdoor spider living to the ripe old age of 43 was not exactly comforting… Video from YouTube
Tag Archive for ‘Spider’
Top 10 new species of 2017
What better way to wrap up 2017 than to take a look back at the top 10 newly discovered species this past year. I don’t know about you, but I am rather partial to the sorting hat spider and the katydid.
Spiders inspire way to help premature babies
Surfactant is a lipoprotein substance that is secreted by special cells located in the alveoli of our lungs. The alveoli are the grape-like structures where gas exchange happens. Without surfactant, these alveoli would collapse and prevent gas exchange. Babies born prematurely often suffer from respiratory distress syndrome because their lungs do not make enough surfactant. Now researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have revolutionized the way surfactant is created by […]
Need pest control, get a spider
A new study shows that globally, spiders consume 400-800 million tons of prey each year. That’s roughly more than double the amount of fish and meat that humans consume. Impressive…yet creepy at the same time. I suppose we should thank them for their pest control efforts. Sources: M Nyffeler, K Birkhofer. An estimated 400–800 million tons of prey are annually killed by the global spider community. The Science of Nature. 104: 30, 2017. […]
Goblin spiders
Happy Halloween! The day just would not be complete without goblin spiders. Check out this neat YouTube video I came across describing species found in Ecuador.
Spider creates sculptures
Check out this “sculpure” of a spider discovered by Biologist Phil Torres, created by what may be a new species of Cyclosa found in the Peruvian Amazon. This is not just a pattern weaved by the spider into the web, but instead it is created from debris in the forest (dead insects, leaves, etc.). It is believed the spiders use the sculptures to confuse predators. The real spider can be […]
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 