I'm an incorrigibly geeky transman with a love for neuropsychopharmacology, cacti (or plants and botany in general), weird music, spiders (and other cute animals), experimental film, might and magic, daggerfall, pokemon, and math (especially when symmetries are involved).
Spider with a water drop as a crown
Photo credit: Uda Dennie/Solent News
The spectacular mating ritual of the tiny peacock spiders of south-east Australia
by Daily Mail staff
- There are 20 known species of peacock spider but only eight have been formally identified
- Peacock spiders are so small you could fit ten of them on a fingernail
- They are found in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia
These dramatic-looking spiders may seem like they’re getting ready to attack, but this colourful display from male peacock spiders is in fact a mating ritual. Similar to peacock birds, where this spider gets its nickname from, the male flashes its brightly coloured, iridescent stomach flaps in a bid to attract females.
And even if these arachnids did attack, they wouldn’t get far because the adults only grow to about 5mm long. When a male peacock spider senses a female it will begin the mating ritual by lifting its legs and flashing its stomach in a sequence that looks like a dance routine. The females carefully study the colouring, vibrations and movements of the male to make sure the potential suitor is healthy and the correct species to mate with.
Once he has mated, he will repeat this dance with as many females as he can find and Maratus spiders can have multiple partners at one time. There are 20 known species of peacock spiders living in Australia, yet they’re so hard to come by only eight have been formally identified…
(read more and see more photos: Daily Mail UK)
(photos: Jurgen Otto and David Hill)
Robotic Spider Dress
Techno Couture from Anouk Wipprecht, a dress with insect-like robotic limbs which react to the proximity of others - video demonstration embedded below:
oh wow…mechanized fashion forever please
oh my FUCKING god.
omgWolf Spider
NEW POISONOUS SPIDER IN THE UNITED STATES
A spider bite…please read………… And you thought the brown recluse was bad!
Three women in North Florida, turned up at hospitals over a 5-day period, all with the same symptoms. Fever, chills, and vomiting, followed by muscular collapse, paralysis, and finally, death. There were no outward signs of trauma.
Autopsy results showed toxicity in the blood. These women did not know each other, and seemed to have nothing in common. It was discovered, however, that they had all visited the same Restaurant (Olive Garden) within days of their deaths.
The health department descended on the restaurant, shutting it down. The food, water, and air conditioning were all inspected and tested, to no avail.
The big break came when a waitress at the restaurant was rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms. She told doctors that she had been on vacation, and had only went to the restaurant to pick up her check. She did not eat or drink while she was there, but had used the restroom.
That is when one toxicologist, remembering an article he had read, drove out to the restaurant, went into the restroom, and lifted the toilet seat.
Under the seat, out of normal view, was a small spider.
The spider was captured and brought back to the lab, where it was determined to be the Two-Striped Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata), so named because of its reddened flesh color. This spider’s venom is extremely toxic, but can take several days to take effect. They live in cold, dark, damp climates, and toilet rims provide just the right atmosphere.
Several days later a lawyer from Jacksonville showed up at a hospital emergency room. Before his death, he told the doctor, that he had been away on business, had taken a flight from Indonesia, changing planes in Singapore, before returning home.
He did not visit (Olive Garden), while there. He did, as did all of the other victims, have what was determined to be a puncture wound, on his right buttock.
Investigators discovered that the flight he was on had originated in India.
The Civilian Aeronautics Board (CAB) ordered an immediate inspection of the toilets of all flights from India, and discovered the Two-Striped Telamonia (Telamonia dimidiata) spider’s nests on 4 different planes!
It is now believed that these spiders can be anywhere in the country. So please, before you use a public toilet, lift the seat to check for spiders. It can save your life!
And please pass this on to everyone you care about.
This is complete fucking bullshit. Toilet spiders are not a thing, the exact text of this post (in various permutations) has been going around since 1998, the genus Telamonia in general is a genus of non-venemous jumping spiders, and Telemonia dimidiata in particular does not occur in the US.
They did get the picture right, though.
zebra jumping spiderling
jumping spider spiderling
weirdo with a beardo
A tiny Jumping Spider (Salticidae, Pystira ephippigera) that has a completely black head with a yellow striped abdomen
Colourful Spiderweb Sculptures
Reblog from deepbreathsanddeath:
Anthony Michael Simon doesn’t produce his own art, instead he lets spiders do the work for him.
About the work:
Chicago native Anthony Michael Simon first discovered the artistry of the silk-producing arachnids while trekking through a forest in Korea, where he is currently based, looking for a location for his next sculptural art installation. He came across a huge spiderweb and it somehow clicked in his mind that he could catch spiders and have them naturally spin their webs in his studio.
Wide Jawed Viciria with her spiderlings running amok in the nest. Despite what may seem like imminent danger, the mother did not run away and abandon the babies. Even if she did move, she would return to protect her young ones almost immediately.
spider moms are so loyal.
(happy spider mother’s day?)
