This Pink-Eyed Katydid is one of many new species discovered.
This pink-eyed katydid lives in the forest canopy in Papua New Guinea. It is one of the over 200 new species discovered by the Conservation International expedition to the Muller Range mountains last year. See more of the new species of frogs, ants, spiders, mammals, and plants, and videos of the expedition at Conservation International.
Continue reading… “Over 200 New Species Discovered in Papua New Guinea”
Goats that produce spider silk protein in their milk could enable researchers to collect large quantities of the silk.
Researchers from the University of Wyoming have developed a way to incorporate spiders’ silk-spinning genes into goats, allowing the researchers to harvest the silk protein from the goats’ milk for a variety of applications. For instance, due to its strength and elasticity, spider silk fiber could have several medical uses, such as for making artificial ligaments and tendons, for eye sutures, and for jaw repair. The silk could also have applications in bulletproof vests and improved car airbags.
Continue reading… “Scientists Incorporate Spider’s Silk-Spinning Genes Into Goats”
Things that scare people.
Whether you jump at the sight of a spider or work up a sweat at the mere mention of getting on an airplane, fears and phobias abound. About 19.2 million American adults ages 18 and over, or some 8.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia, or extreme fear. Here are some of the worst.
Continue reading… “Top 10 Fears and Phobias That Really Scare People”
Zodarion spider devouring an ant
Zodarion spiders dine exclusively on ants, and they’re very particular about how those ants should be prepared. The spiders always eat the ants’ heads first. It turns out this ghoulish practice is vital for the spider’s survival.
Continue reading… “Why Spiders Always Devour Ants Head First”
Scientists figure humans may be born with a fear of spiders and snakes, healthy phobias that up the odds of survival in the wild. It’s not known how such an inborn fear might develop, however.
Now researchers have proven that unborn crickets can gain a fear of spiders based on their mother’s harrowing experiences.
Scientists put pregnant crickets into terrariums containing a wolf spider. The spiders’ fangs were covered with wax so the spiders could stalk but not kill the pregnant crickets. After the crickets laid their eggs, the researchers compared the behavior of the offspring with offspring whose mothers hadn’t been exposed to spiders.
The differences were dramatic, the scientists said.
Continue reading… “Fear of Spiders Can Develop Before Birth”
Sensors are being placed inside and around the mouth of Mount St. Helens.
Scientists have placed high-tech “spiders” inside and around the mouth of Mount St. Helens, one of the most active volcanoes in the United States. Networks such as these could one day be used to respond rapidly to an impending eruption.
Continue reading… “NASA Monitoring Inside Mount St. Helens Volcano”
As if global warming isn’t giving us enough to worry about, now scientists say it could lead to bigger-and possibly more-spiders of at least one species.
A group of Danish scientists wondered whether global warming would make the hairy, meat-eating wolf spiders of northeastern Greenland bigger, since longer summers mean more hunting time. The little-known species, Pardosa glacialis, grows as long as 1.6 inches (four centimeters), study co-author Toke Høye of Aarhus University estimates. Continue reading… “Spiders Getting Bigger”
The spider, which measures just a few millimetres across, has developed bizarre markings giving the appearance of a smiling face.
Scientists think the spider, which has the scientific name Theridion grallator and is harmless to humans, has evolved the patterns to confuse predators. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Hawaiian Happy Face Spider”
Spiders flying as an educational project aboard the International Space Station seem to have gotten the hang of weightlessness.
Continue reading… “Spiders Flying On The International Space Station”
BLACK widow spiders vary their webs to suit their purpose. A hungry spider spins a deadlier web, while a full one builds a fortress.
Continue reading… “Their Webs Suit Their Purpose”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.