Wow. I just put some small crickets into Housy's cage, and he went crazy. He was chasing down and biting any cricket he could catch. He didn't seem to like pill bugs, and ignored them when they came into his web. I think that Housy is enjoying his new home.
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs, Spider Named After Neil Young, Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, Brazilian Wandering Spider, Brazilian Wandering Spiders
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Brazillian Wandering Spider Revealed
The Brazilian Wandering Spiders are probably the most venomous spiders in the world. They are sometimes called Armed Spiders, or Banana Spiders. The Brazilian Wandering Spiders are a genus of spiders known as Phoneutria, which means Murderess in Greek. These spiders are called "Wandering Spiders" because they move around on the jungle floor at night, rather then stay in a web or lair. In the daytime, the spiders hide in termite mounds, under logs, and in banana plants. (Hence the name Banana Spider. There have also been reports of them being shipped of to other places with the bananas.) There are eight known species in this genus, and they are all venomous. They can be found throughout South America, particularly in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Three of the species are only found in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. If you were to be bitten by one of these spiders, it would probably be one of the most painful bites ever. The venom is a neurotoxin, which means it targets the nerves. However, only about one third of the bites have venom. Of that, only a third of that contains more then a tiny amount of venom. Though, they are very agressive, and will attack with little disturbance. One last weird fact, scientists believe the venom of Brazilian Wandering Spiders may help to cure erectile dysfunction. Hope this has taught you about Brazilian Wandering Spiders. Keep on the look out for more animals "Revealed".*********************************************************************************
Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs, Spider Named After Neil Young, Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, Brazilian Wandering Spider, Brazilian Wandering Spiders
Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi
The Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi trap door spider was recently discovered and has been named after Neil Young, a musician and singer. Jason Bond, an ECU professor of biology named this spider saying, "There are rather strict rules about how you name new species. As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice.” In 1988, Bond discovered the spider in Jefferson Co., Alabama. It was only in 2007, that the spider was recognised as a new species. Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi lives throughout Alabama, and there is also one locality in western Florida. Bond was given a $750,000 grant to classify the spider. Bond has said that Neil Young is one of his favorite artists. As far as I know, no non-scientific name has been given to this new spider.
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs, Spider Named After Neil Young, Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi,Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi
Monday, June 23, 2008
"Daddy Long Legs" Revealed
The term "Daddy Long Leg" is probably one of the most common word associated with bugs that really doesn't mean anything. When the word is used, the user is probably referring to one of these three arthropods. The trio includes: Crane Fly (Particularly the Giant Crane Fly), Havestmen (Most commonly referred to), and Cellar Spiders (Particularly Pholcus phalangioides). Now, I think it is time to "Reveal" all three.
Lets start
with the Harvestmen. These arthropods are, in my opinion, the most commonly referred to when someone says "Daddy Long Leg". These creatures are commonly mistaken for spiders, because of the way they move and that they have eight legs. One of the easiest ways to tell that it is not a spider is that its abdomen and cephalothorax are nearly completely fused together, which means the Harvestmen appears to only have one body part. In a spider however, it is very easy to tell that there are two body parts. Harvestmen are not aggressive, and if provoked enough to bite will perhaps sting for a few seconds, and then have no lasting effects. Most Havestmen are omnivores, eating a variety of things. If someone or something were to break off one of the Havestmen's legs, the leg would continue moving for about two minutes. (The longest was two hours.) This occurs because there are pacemakers located in the top segment of the Havestmens legs. The pacemaker sends signals via nerves down to the muscles of the leg, causing it to move. Scientists hypothesize that this is a defensive reflex, and will keep the attacker interested in the leg, and allow the Havestmen to escape. There is also a legend that states that Harvestmen have the most deadly venom of any spider, but their fangs are to small to pierce the skin. This is incorrect because Havestmen have no venom, and their fangs do have the ability to pierce our skin. Hope this has taught you about the Havestmen, keep reading bellow for the Cellar Spider.
Now lets move on to the Pholcus phalangioides, the kind of Cellar Spider that people usually refer to.
These Cellar Spiders tend to live in rotting logs, in caves, and in the basements and Cellars of peoples' houses. They can also be found in public restrooms, or honey buckets. These spiders are also the targets of an urban legend. The legend is that the Cellar Spider has the most deadly venom of any spider, but their fangs are two small to pierce our skin. (This same legend also is applied to Harvestmen, mentioned above.) This legend is untrue for both arachnids, because their fangs can pierce our skin, and the Cellar Spiders' venom has little to no effect on humans. Also, these spiders are not aggressive, and prefer to flee farther up their web then fight off the threat. Cellar Spiders are also considered beneficial, because they are known to kill and eat Black Widows. The Cellar Spider is also called the Vibrating Spider, because it is known to shake its web and itself violently, confusing potential predators and helping the spider catch other insect. Hope this has informed you about Pholcus phalangioides, also known as the Cellar Spider. Read on to find out about the Crane Fly.
Finally, we come
to the Crane Fly. When most people see a Crane Fly they think "Look out, its a Giant Mosquito!". This notion is incorrect. Crane Flies do not suck peoples blood, and do not carry any deadly diseases. These giant flies are attracted to bright light, so you may see one flying close to a lamp or light. The Giant Crane Fly is the biggest fly in the world. Though this may not be known, the same myth that applies to the Harvestmen and Cellar Spider (The myth is that the Harvestmen or Cellar Spider has the most deadly venom of any spider.) also applies to the Crane Fly. This myth is incorrect because the Crane Fly has no venom, and could not pierce human flesh, because the adult Crane Flies either drink nectar, or do not feed at all. The Crane Fly is a common snack to many birds, as well as other bugs. The legs of a Crane Fly are very fragile, and may break with little contact. This allows them to sometimes get away from birds, which find them easy prey because they are poor fliers. Hope this has taught you about the Crane Fly.
That is the end to our little adventure into the world of the bugs we call "Daddy Long Legs". Keep on the look out for more animals "Revealed".
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs
Lets start
with the Harvestmen. These arthropods are, in my opinion, the most commonly referred to when someone says "Daddy Long Leg". These creatures are commonly mistaken for spiders, because of the way they move and that they have eight legs. One of the easiest ways to tell that it is not a spider is that its abdomen and cephalothorax are nearly completely fused together, which means the Harvestmen appears to only have one body part. In a spider however, it is very easy to tell that there are two body parts. Harvestmen are not aggressive, and if provoked enough to bite will perhaps sting for a few seconds, and then have no lasting effects. Most Havestmen are omnivores, eating a variety of things. If someone or something were to break off one of the Havestmen's legs, the leg would continue moving for about two minutes. (The longest was two hours.) This occurs because there are pacemakers located in the top segment of the Havestmens legs. The pacemaker sends signals via nerves down to the muscles of the leg, causing it to move. Scientists hypothesize that this is a defensive reflex, and will keep the attacker interested in the leg, and allow the Havestmen to escape. There is also a legend that states that Harvestmen have the most deadly venom of any spider, but their fangs are to small to pierce the skin. This is incorrect because Havestmen have no venom, and their fangs do have the ability to pierce our skin. Hope this has taught you about the Havestmen, keep reading bellow for the Cellar Spider.Now lets move on to the Pholcus phalangioides, the kind of Cellar Spider that people usually refer to.
These Cellar Spiders tend to live in rotting logs, in caves, and in the basements and Cellars of peoples' houses. They can also be found in public restrooms, or honey buckets. These spiders are also the targets of an urban legend. The legend is that the Cellar Spider has the most deadly venom of any spider, but their fangs are two small to pierce our skin. (This same legend also is applied to Harvestmen, mentioned above.) This legend is untrue for both arachnids, because their fangs can pierce our skin, and the Cellar Spiders' venom has little to no effect on humans. Also, these spiders are not aggressive, and prefer to flee farther up their web then fight off the threat. Cellar Spiders are also considered beneficial, because they are known to kill and eat Black Widows. The Cellar Spider is also called the Vibrating Spider, because it is known to shake its web and itself violently, confusing potential predators and helping the spider catch other insect. Hope this has informed you about Pholcus phalangioides, also known as the Cellar Spider. Read on to find out about the Crane Fly.Finally, we come
to the Crane Fly. When most people see a Crane Fly they think "Look out, its a Giant Mosquito!". This notion is incorrect. Crane Flies do not suck peoples blood, and do not carry any deadly diseases. These giant flies are attracted to bright light, so you may see one flying close to a lamp or light. The Giant Crane Fly is the biggest fly in the world. Though this may not be known, the same myth that applies to the Harvestmen and Cellar Spider (The myth is that the Harvestmen or Cellar Spider has the most deadly venom of any spider.) also applies to the Crane Fly. This myth is incorrect because the Crane Fly has no venom, and could not pierce human flesh, because the adult Crane Flies either drink nectar, or do not feed at all. The Crane Fly is a common snack to many birds, as well as other bugs. The legs of a Crane Fly are very fragile, and may break with little contact. This allows them to sometimes get away from birds, which find them easy prey because they are poor fliers. Hope this has taught you about the Crane Fly.That is the end to our little adventure into the world of the bugs we call "Daddy Long Legs". Keep on the look out for more animals "Revealed".
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Assassin Spider Revealed
The Assassin Spider is probably one of the weirdest spiders you will ever see. As you can see in the picture, the Assassin Spider hunts other spiders by using their extra long jaws to reach out and grab the spider, puncturing its body with sharp venomous fangs. The Assassin Spider needs a very long neck to support the jaws, and this is a clearly evolved aspect. For one thing, I am nearly 100% certain that no other spider has a neck at all. Also, the neck seems to have evolved twice, since the necks shapes and lengths change depending on the primary source of food for the spider. There used to be only two kinds of known Assassin Spiders, but recently scientists have discovered eight new species to add to the Archaeidae or Assassin Spider family. Assassin Spiders grow to a length of about an eighth of an inch, or about two milimeters. The venom of an Assassin Spider is harmless to humans, so people with Arachnophobia can rest easy knowing that this spider means no harm.
Keep on the look out for more animals "Revealed".
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider
Housy Made His First Web
Today is a landmark day. Housy has finally constructed a decent web in his cage. I am hoping that he will start using it to catch the bugs I have been feeding him, which right now are pill bugs. (Also known as rolly-pollies.)
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs, Spider Named After Neil Young, Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, Brazilian Wandering Spider, Brazilian Wandering Spiders
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion, Assassin Spider, Crane Fly, Daddy Long Leg, Harvestmen, Cellar Spiders, Daddy Long Legs, Spider Named After Neil Young, Myrmekiaphila Neilyoungi, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, Brazilian Wandering Spider, Brazilian Wandering Spiders
Solifugae Revealed
Solifugae, also known as Camel Spiders, Sun Spiders, and Wind Scorpions, are probably one of the most exaggerated and lied about of any arachnid.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that Solifugae are spiders, which is not true.
Another myth is that Solifugae can run 25 miles per hour. This is a huge exaggeration, and the truth is that they can only run up to 10 miles per hour. One myth that is just plain weird is that at night, the Solifugae come out and inject an anesthetic into the body, then they eat your flesh leaving a gaping wound in the morning. This myth is not true for two main reasons. The first is that do not have any kind of anesthetic venom, or any venom at all for that matter. The second reason is that Solifugae rarely attack anything larger than themselves unless threatened. If you were to get bitten by one, it would most likely be very painful, and may become infected.
This picture on the left was supposedly taken in southern Africa. It shows two Solifugae linked together, and they appear to be very large. This picture is a real picture, but it has the illusion that the Solifugae are much bigger then they really are, and was spread via e-mail. In the e-mail, the person gave an incorrect description to the picture, mentioning the weird myth above.`
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I hope this has cleared up the myths surrounding Solifugae. Stay on the look out for animals "Revealed".
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology, Camel Spiders, Solifugae, Sun Spider, Wind Scorpion
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Hobo Spider Identification
The following text will give information regarding the Hobo Spider, and help you tell if the spider you find is NOT a Hobo Spider.
A Hobo Spider, or Aggressive House Spider, is a venomous spider found in the Northwest area of the United States. When it bites, it is usually because the spider has been pressed up against the skin, or has been severely provoked. If bitten, you should capture the spider for identification, and seek medical treatment, especially if the individual is an infant or elderly. The area around the bite may become red and swell, and may sometimes cause necrosis, or the death of tissue around the bite.
Hobo Spiders are very difficult to 100% identify without looking at their reproductive organs through a microscope. However, there are ways to be 80% to 90% sure if the spider you have is a Hobo Spider, and not the closely related Giant and Domestic House Spiders.
A Hobo Spider, or Aggressive House Spider, is a venomous spider found in the Northwest area of the United States. When it bites, it is usually because the spider has been pressed up against the skin, or has been severely provoked. If bitten, you should capture the spider for identification, and seek medical treatment, especially if the individual is an infant or elderly. The area around the bite may become red and swell, and may sometimes cause necrosis, or the death of tissue around the bite.
Hobo Spiders are very difficult to 100% identify without looking at their reproductive organs through a microscope. However, there are ways to be 80% to 90% sure if the spider you have is a Hobo Spider, and not the closely related Giant and Domestic House Spiders.
One way is to 
look at the underside of the spider.
If the sternum, which is the shield shaped part surrounded by legs, has spots along the outside, then it is most likely not a Hobo Spider. However, the spots may be very faint, so you should not rely only on this way.
The Spider on the left is a Giant House Spider, the right is a Hobo Spider
Another way is to look at the legs of the spider. If the legs are striped, then it is most likely not a Hobo Spider. If they are not striped, it could be a Hobo Spider, but you should probably use another method as well.
Another way is to look at the palps, or male reproductive oragans. They are located near the fangs, and resemble spheres or boxing gloves. If the palps are blunt, it coulb be a Hobo Spider. If they are sharp and thin, it is probably not a Hobo Spider. This is the least definitive in my opinion, and also hard to determine.
None of these methods will 100% indentify the spider. I would use multiple methods, and if you encouter one, just leave it be or use gloves and a jar to relocate it.
For more info on identifying Hobo Spiders, click here
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology
New pet spider!
At about 3:00 pm, my dad and I went to our worm bin and caught a big spider to keep as a pet. I believe this is a Giant House Spider, but it also could be the closely related Hobo Spider. I have named my new pet Housy I am planning to start feeding him tomorrow. He or she managed to escape once and crawl into a shoe container before we caught him or her. (I am just going to call it a he from now on.)
I made a special habitat for him in a small cage, using twigs, sand, and small pieces of wood. I think he likes his new home and he has finally stoped trying to crawl out of it. I thought it was kind of cute when he was standing up against the plastic on his two back legs trying to get out.
This is a picture of the habitat.
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Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology
Who is Kumonga?
Kumonga is a fictional monster from the Godzilla movies and is also known as Spiga. He lives on Monster Island along with Godzilla, Rodan, and other monsters. Kumonga is one of the only famous ficitonal spiders in major movies or books (aside from Shelob from LoTR). Kumonga can shoot a thick webbing from its mouth and there is also a sharp poison stinger inside. The spider is also a great jumper. Kumonga has prehensile pedipalps that can be used to grab small prey.**********************************************************************************
Spiders, Bugs, House Spiders, Giant House Spiders, Spider Pets, Spider Identification, Spider Habitat, Insects, Entomology
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