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Spiders

Phobias more effectively treated by linking computerised therapy own heart rhythms of the patients

31/10/2018

An end to arachnophobia ‘just a heartbeat away’. eurekalert.org. October 30, 2018. Researchers have discovered that exposing people with phobias to their fear – for examples, spiders for those who have arachnophobia – at the exact time their heart beats, led to the phobia reducing in severity.Hugo Critchley, Chair of Psychiatry at Brighton and Sussex […]


Hierarchical spidroin micellar nanoparticles as the fundamental precursors of spider silks

24/10/2018

Mystery of how black widow spiders create steel-strength silk webs further unravelled. sciencedaily.com. October 22, 2018. ‘Modified micelle theory’ may allow scientists to create equally strong synthetic materials. Summary: Researchers have better unraveled the complex process of how black widow spiders transform proteins into steel-strength fibers. This knowledge promises to aid scientists in creating equally […]


Males of the brown widow spider mate choice, study

04/05/2018

Male mate choice in a sexually cannibalistic widow spider. By Shevy Waner, Uzi Motro, Yael Lubin, Ally R.Harari. AbstractMales of the brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus (Theridiidae), invest energy in courtship displays and are often cannibalized after mating; accordingly, partial sex role reversal is expected. In this species, subadult females are able to mate and […]


Phylogenomic reclassification of the most venomous spiders of the world, study

19/02/2018

World’s most venomous spiders are actually cousins. sciencedaily.com. February 15, 2018. Study finds the deadly Australian funnel-web spiders and mouse spiders are more closely related than previously thought. Two lineages of dangerous arachnids found in Australia — long classified as distantly related in the official taxonomy — are, in fact, relatively close evolutionary cousins. The […]


The house spider genome reveals an ancient whole-genome duplication during arachnid evolution

01/08/2017

Genome sequencing shows spiders, scorpions share ancestor. sciencedaily.com. August 01, 2017. In collaboration with scientists from the U.K., Europe, Japan and the United States, researchers at the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a whole genome duplication during the evolution of spiders and scorpions. The study appears in BMC Biology.Researchers […]


An Australian boy has survived being bitten by spider after being treated with 12 vials of anti-veno

25/02/2017

Australian spider bite boy saved by massive anti-venom dose. bbcnews. February 24, 2017. A 10-year-old Australian boy has survived being bitten by one of the world’s most venomous spiders after being treated with 12 vials of anti-venom, reports say.It is thought to be one of the largest doses of anti-venom ever administered in Australia. Matthew […]


Kankuamo marquezi, a new theraphosid genus from Colombia (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

03/07/2016

A hair’s breadth away: New tarantula species and genus honors Gabriel García Márquez. sciencedaily.com. June 29, 2016. Summary: Thanks to its extraordinary defensive hairs, a Colombian tarantula proved itself as not only a new species, but also as a new genus. Its genus’ name honors an indigenous people from the Caribbean coast region, while its species’ name […]


Cheiracanthium ilicis sp. n., a novel spider species associated with Holm Oaks (Quercus ilex)

03/07/2016

New species of spider discovered ‘next door’ at the the borders of cereal fields in Spain. sciencedaily.com. June 29, 2016. Summary: While many think that it is necessary to travel to far off pristine tropical forests to discover new species, the truth is that the Old World still keeps surprises up its sleeve. A new […]



Plant-eating by spiders, study

15/03/2016

More than bugs: Spiders also like an occasional vegetarian meal. sciencedaily.com. March 14, 2016. Summary:Spiders are known to be the classic example of insectivorous predators. Zoologists have now been able to show that their diet is more diverse than expected. Their findings show that spiders like to spice up their menu with the occasional vegetarian […]


Aposematic signals in North American black widows are more conspicuous to predators than to prey

02/03/2016

Black widow spiders are color-coded to deter predators without tipping off prey. sciencedaily.com. February 29, 2016.Summary:Secret codes and hidden messages aren’t just for computer security experts or kids passing notes in class — animals use them too. The telltale red hourglass of the black widow spider appears brighter and more contrasting to birds than to […]


Taxonomic revision of the tarantula genus Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901 within the US

06/02/2016

New tarantula named after Johnny Cash among 14 spider species found in the United States.sciencedaily.com. February 04, 2016.  Summary: The tarantula, named after the famous singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, is only one of fourteen spider species recently discovered in the southwestern United States. This new discovery nearly doubles the number of tarantula species known from the […]



The role of social experience in eavesdropping by male wolf spiders (Lycosidae), study

04/08/2015

Spiders quickly learn eavesdropping to gain ground on the mating competition. sciencedaily.com. August 04, 2015. Summary: When it comes to courting, one common spider species is quick to learn, and that learning process involves eavesdropping on the visual cues of rivals to win their mate. Scientists report that when wolf spiders were shown videos of […]


Trivia # 293: Spider webs

15/07/2015

Toxicological trivia from july 15, 2015: More than 50,000 species of spiders, of which about 800 are found in Argentina are known. Most of them go unnoticed by the man for its small size and customs; but sometimes they are notable for their webs. Of the following statements …Spider webs fiber is stronger than steel.It […]



US: Medical toxicologists are reporting an increase in patients seen with brown recluse spider bites

11/08/2014

Physicians seeing increase in brown recluse spider bites. sciencedaily.com. July 23, 2014.Summary: Medical toxicologists are reporting an increase in patients seen with brown recluse spider bites this summer. There are two components to spider bites — the cutaneous lesion and, more rarely, the systemic symptoms that can occur following the bite.Vanderbilt medical toxicologists are reporting […]



The modus operandi of a solitary tiny spider from the Negev desert in Israel that kills bigger ants

13/06/2014

David and Goliath: How a tiny spider catches much larger prey. sciencedaily.com. June 12, 2014. Summary: In nature, it is very rare to find a proverbial much smaller David able to overpower and kill a Goliath for supper. This is exactly the modus operandi of a solitary tiny spider from the Negev desert in Israel […]


Oxford study: spider web functions like multi-stringed instrument

06/06/2014

Spiders understand “music” of their own web.world-science.net. June 05, 2014.Courtesy of Oxford University and World Science staff. The sound of a spider web, plucked like a guitar string, provides its inhabitants with information about prey, mates, and even web’s structural condition, scientists have found. The spiders use that quality by “tuning” the silk, they say: […]


Novel biopesticide based on a spider venom peptide shows no adverse effects on honeybees, study

04/06/2014

Could spiders be the key to saving our bees?  sciencedaily.com. June 3, 2014.Summary:A novel bio-pesticide created using spider venom and a plant protein has been found to be safe for honeybees – despite being highly toxic to a number of key insect pests. New research has tested the insect-specific Hv1a/GNA fusion protein bio-pesticide — a […]


Black widow have been found in grapes sold in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota

25/11/2013

Black Widows Infest Grapes: Poisonous Spiders Found Crawling In Fruit In Several States. By Lecia Bushak. medicaldaily.com.  November 23, 2013.  Yvonne Duckhorn was walking through the aisles of Aldi grocery store in Milwaukee when she saw a black spider with red markings crawling in a container of red grapes. The spider was a black widow […]


Two new spider species described from Uruguay: Chaco castanea and Chaco costai

04/10/2013

2 new enigmatic spider species with peculiar living habits from Uruguay. eurekalert.org. October 04, 2013. The two new species described from Uruguay, Chaco castanea and Chaco costai, are middle sized spiders that range between 1 and 2 cm in body size. Like all Nemesiids they have elongated body and robust legs with predominantly black-brownish coloration. […]


From N Engl J Med 2013: Cutaneous Loxoscelism

02/08/2013

Images in clinical medicine:Cutaneous Loxoscelism.  Lourdes Garza Ocañas, M.D., and Roque Masaharu Mifuji, M.D. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:e6August 1, 2013DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm1212607A 10-year-old healthy girl from a rural area in Northeast Mexico was bitten on the right posterior lateral thigh by a spider that had characteristics matching those of a brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa). Five […]


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