This spider has a wide distribution encompassing the whole of Africa and stretching to southern Europe and into Asia. Without the legs, it reaches 25 to 30 mm in length. The female’s characteristic lobes distinguish her from other spiders of the araneidae family. The web is loose and the threads are very thin. I found […]
Tag: spider
Face your fears: extreme creepy-crawly close-ups – in pictures
Wildlife photographer Yudy Sauw has captured close-ups of insects revealing their colourful and alien-like faces. In these images the insects have bulging eyes and sharp pincers and appear more grotesque than usual. Yudy photographed the bugs at his home studio in Banten, Indonesia, from 2-10cm away. This article was first published by The Guardian.
One lizard, four species: the collared treerunner
Now, that’s a horse of a different color. Or, in this case, a lizard of another species – four species. Recent research suggests that the collared treerunner (Plica plica), previously thought of as one widespread species, is actually four distinct species inhabiting diverse geographical areas east of the Andes in northern South America. “The four […]
Bromeliads may actually protect fruit trees from pest damage
Imagine a plant. Now remove the soil, for it’s not essential. In fact, an estimated one-tenth of all plant species have liberated themselves from soil and evolved into epiphytes—plants that grow on other plants. Although growing on others can seem parasitic, botanists have traditionally acquitted epiphytes of stealing from their hosts—except for the parasitic mistletoe—regarding […]
Biggest new animal discoveries of 2013 (photos)
Thousands of species were scientifically described for the first time in 2013. Many of these were ‘cryptic species’ that were identified after genetic analysis distinguished them from closely-related species, while others were totally novel. Below are some of the most interesting “new species” discoveries that took place or were formally announced in 2013. The last […]
Central Winds Park, 9/2/2013
A friend of mine found a Hooded Warbler and a Cerulean Warbler at Central Winds yesterday. Of course, I wasn’t there. I think that all the Hooded Warblers got together and decided to stay away from me whenever I’m in Seminole County–I can’t seem to get that one on my Seminole County list. So of […]
My Favorite Florida Spiders
Since moving to Florida, I’ve had the opportunity to see some pretty enormous spiders. Golden-silk Orbweavers and Black and Yellow Argiopes are pretty large, and they’re spectacular-looking as well. Of course, not all our spiders are huge. But whenever I have the chance to get close enough to them for photographs, I’m always struck by […]
New to nature No 107: Typhochlaena costae
There is a story, perhaps apocryphal, that Harvard professor and mycologist Roland Thaxter once gave a public lecture on the Laboulbeniales, an enigmatic group of fungi that grow on the integument of insects. A woman in the audience is said to have asked: “Professor Thaxter, this is all interesting, but of what value is it […]