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including DEEP FRIED TARANTULAS¢Deep Fried Tarantulas In Cambodia, for 50 cents or less, protein is available in the form of ping (Cambodian for tarantula).
The custom of eating these lovelies started during a time of widespread food shortage back in the 1970s,
and Other Creepy Crawlies A Chinese woman selling scorpions on stick in Beijing, where the delicacy is fried in cooking oil.
and grasshoppers are toasted Cambodia Deep-fried tarantulas are popular with locals and tourists South africa Locusts lend interest to the staple dish of cornmeal porridge Australia Witchetty grubs are a traditional part of the Aboriginal diet Via Guardian Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati
#Scientists Incorporate Spiders Silk-Spinning Genes Into Goats 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,
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,
getting enough spider silk for these applications requires large numbers of spiders. However, spiders tend to be territorial,
so when the researchers tried to set up spider farms, the spiders killed each other. To solve this problem, Randy Lewis, a professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming,
and other researchers decided to put the spiders dragline silk gene into goats in such a way that the goats would only make the protein in their milk.
Like any other genetic factor, only a certain percentage of the goats end up with the gene.
For instance of seven goat kids born in February 2010, three have tested positive for having the silk protein gene.
and purify the spider silk protein into oemuch, much higher quantities, Lewis said. Other than their ability to produce the spider silk protein,
the goats do not seem to have any other differences in health, appearance, or behavior compared to goats without the gene,
Jones was like a spider in its web. Almost every internal debate among the climate popes passed through his computer, leaving behind a digital trail.
#Surprising New Branches on Arthropod family Tree Centipede. Any way you look at it by sheer weight, species diversity or population the hard-shelled,
joint-legged creepy crawlies called arthropods dominate planet Earth. Because of their success and importance, scientists have been trying for decades to out the family relationships that link lobsters to millipedes
and cockroaches to tarantulas and find which might have come first. In a scientific and technological tour de force that was nearly a decade in the making, a team of scientists from Duke university,
the University of Maryland and the Natural history Museum of Los angeles County have compared genetic sequences from 75 different species to draw a new family tree that includes every major arthropod lineage.
Some of the relationships are so surprising that new names had to be coined for five newly-discovered groupings.
With linear bodies like centipedes, simple legs and no eyes, it was thought that this small group now placed with cephalocarids in the newly-named Xenocarida
after analyzing 62 shared genetic sequences across all the arthropods, the researchers are putting the strange shrimp together with the six-legged insects, Hexapoda,
Triops, a 2-inch crustacean that looks like a cross between a horseshoe crab and a mayfly, had also been thought of as an early crustacean,
This latest study has created a fuller picture of the arthropod family tree by using more species and more genes,
scorpions, dragonflies, barnacles, copepods and centipedes. Remipedes, one of the two species of Xenocarida in the study, had to be fetched from partially submerged limestone caves in the Yucatan peninsula and preserved just so.
Once assembled, the 75 species were stripped then down to their DNA for a painstaking search to find genetic sequences that would appear across all arthropods, enabling statistical comparisons.
500 different combinations of PCR primers to find 62 protein-coding gene sequences that could be compared across all 75 species. Regier was an early proponent of using protein coding genes to sort out the arthropod tree,
From worm lollipops to chocolate-dipped scorpions these bizarre concoctions could be from the dark mind of a twisted Willy Wonka.
revealed Katy. oeour latest insect candy has been flavoured the chocolate scorpion which have proved to be very popular.
but yes everything is edible even the scorpions, she said. oemany people think the scorpions are poisonous
but when a scorpion dies it is not longer venomous. It is cooked before it is put into the candy so a lot of it is actually protein.
It actually could be quite good for you, but we do cut off the stinger just to make sure there is no hint of poison. oewe feed the worms things like oatmeal,
which experts suspect is caused by a combination of mites, parasites, viruses and pesticides. Bumblebees are having problems, too.
#European union is conducting $4. 3 million study on nutritional value of eating insects Love bug salad Would you like a bowl of scorpion soup?
Scorpions#An estimated 800-2, 000 fatalities a year. Big cats (Lions Tigers, Leopards, etc)# An estimated 800 fatalities a year.
especially after we recently saw that scorpion venom can be used to create pesticides. Strano has filed for a patent on the sensor,
Previous research has found evidence that mites, a virus, a fungus, or a combination of these factors might be responsible for the widespread colony collapse.
goats with spider genes that produce super-strength silk in their milk; and synthetic bacteria that decompose trash
and tigers often associated with the jungles butâ rainforest-dwelling arthropodsâ (a group that includes insects arachnids and crustaceans all of
Arthropods are the most diverse group of animals in the world and perform all kinds of vital roles in their environments from eating fecal matter to pollinating flowers.
A modern rodent species that had very similar ornaments on its teeth the African dormouse are seedeaters that also eat some fruit as well as worms arthropods creatures such as insects
Other new studies find that the fecal matter of millipedes and oribatid mites also transform carbon into its more decay resistant form.
The second study was conducted over 54 days too short a time to judge the total effect of earthworms on the environment.
#Funnel-web Spiders: Families, Bites & Other Facts Funnel-web spiders are spiders that build funnel-shaped webs
which they use as burrows or to trap prey. Three distinct spider families are known popularly as funnel-web spiders.
Spiders in the Agelenidae Dipluridae and Hexathelidae families all build funnel-shaped webs but that is where their similarities end.
Agelenidae spiders also called funnel weavers live throughout the world including North america. They build funnel-shaped webs between two braces such as branches or grass blades.
In general their bites are not harmful to humans. A possible exception is the hobo spider
but scientists are extremely unsure if this species is poisonous or not. Hexathelidae spiders live in Australia
and their funnel webs are lined really burrows with silk These spiders have a dangerous bite. Two well-known species of Hexathelidae are the Sydney funnel spider and the northern tree funnel spider;
both are shortlisted often for the Most Deadly Spider in the World title. Spiders in the Dipluridae family are commonly known as funnel-web tarantulas.
Their funnel webs are rather messy. Most of these spiders live in the tropics of Central and South america but they are found worldwide including Australia Africa and Central asia.
There are more than 1200 species of agelenids found worldwide. About 100 are in North america. Members of one North american genus Agelenopsis are referred commonly to as grass spiders.
Appearance Agelenids are sized medium for arachnids about 4 to 20 millimeters long. They are usually grey or brown with spots on their backs and banded legs.
Their eight eyes are arranged in two rows. Behavior Like most species of spiders funnel weavers are nocturnal.
They are known to flee from light. They typically live for less than a year dying in the cold weather.
In warmer places they can live for two years. Males spend most of their time wandering in search of a mate
though they usually die after they mate a few times. Females rarely leave their webs. They typically lay several egg sacs and cover them in webbing for protection.
Funnel spiders lay eggs in the fall and the spiderlings hatch in the spring. Dead female spiders are often found clinging to the egg sac.
Web Residents of grassy areas will recognize the funnel webs scattered in the grass during the summer and early fall.
which functions as a retreat for the spider to hide in while it waits for prey to come.
The spider calmly waits calmly in its funnel until it feels the sheet web vibrate as prey gets caught in it.
The spider which has no problem walking on the web then runs out and bites its victim.
These spiders typically eat insects though they have been known to eat other spiders. There are about 40 species of hexathelidae in Australia
and while not all of them are poisonous the Sydney funnel spider and the tree-dwelling venomous biters have garnered deadly reputations in the Land Down Under.
Appearance These funnel spiders are sized medium getting up to about one inch and are typically black or brown.
They are distinguished by their shiny carapace (hard covering over the front of the body) which is haired lightly.
Behavior These mostly nocturnal spiders can be found at any time of the year. They prefer humid climates as they are susceptible to drying out.
The two spiders spar until the female accepts the male. To mate they rear up on their hind legs and press their bodies together.
The female spider lays her eggs in her burrow. Once they hatch the young spiders stay in the burrow until they are big enough to leave.
Males only live for a few months after mating but females can live for several years (some reports say up to 20).
Burrowers Funnel spiders pick moist and sheltered places to build their burrows like under rocks or logs or in shrubbery.
which act as trip wires alerting the spider hiding in the burrow that prey is present. The spider then goes out and attacks.
These spiders usually eat insects or small vertebrates like lizards or frogs. Tree dwellers While most funnel spiders live on the ground a few species on the eastern coast of Australia live in wet forest trees.
They typically live in rotting holes in the bark and build silk trip wires outside the holes to alert themselves to prey.
The inside of their holes may be lined with silk and bits of bark are used to disguise the entrance.
Dangerous species All species of Australian funnel-web spiders are considered dangerous but the two most notorious are the Sydney funnel-web spider and the northern tree-dwelling funnel spider.
The black or brown Sydney funnel-web spider s habitat correlates closely with the greater Sydney area.
Male Sydney funnel-webs are exclusively responsible for human deaths from this spider's bite. Their venom is five times as toxic as the female s
because it contains a special chemical called Robustoxin. Females lack this chemical. Furthermore males wander searching for mates
The northern tree-dwelling funnel spider is also highly dangerous but much more rarely encountered
A gene from a spider that helps the arachnid produce silk for example could be inserted into the DNA of an ordinary goat.
Though the Africanized bees can carry the Varroa mites that have been implicated in colony collapse disorder they have considerable resistance to the mites unlike native honeybees.
#Most Interesting Science News articles of the Week<p></p><p>A mystery blob scorpion-eating mice and trees of gold?
></p><p>The sting of the Arizona bark scorpion is so fierce that humans say the pain is like being hit by a hammer.
Instead of causing pain the scorpion venom blocks it a fact that could lead to the development of new pain-blocking drugs for people.</
<a href=http://www. livescience. com/40684-scorpion-eating-mice-no-sting. html target=blank>Scorpion-Eating Mice Feel No Sting</a p><p
This Cambrian explosion included the evolution of arthropods (ancestors of today's insects and crustaceans) and chordates (animals with rudimentary spinal cords.
Perhaps the most famous of these invertebrates was the trilobite an armored arthropod that scuttled around the seafloor for about 270 million years before going extinct.
The Devonian period saw the rise of the first land-living arthropods including the earliest ancestors of spiders.
especially midges mosquitoes flies beetles and spiders as well as grass seeds and berries. On the wintering grounds
While this find may not push Alice's hookah-smoking insect from its psychedelic pedestal this caterpillar is pretty snazzy as it can use nicotine to ward off hungry wolf spiders.
if the spider hadn't told us he told Livescience. The researchers discovered the odd halitosis
and thus their ability to ward off the spiders. As a result they were consumed at a higher rate by wolf spiders a rate similar to that found for caterpillars consuming nicotine-depleted tobacco plants.
 This RNA-interference technique might someday be used in genetically modified crops produced with specific nutritional goals in mind as interference RNA targets a specific gene.
While the study involved wolf spiders the nicotine halitosis does not necessarily turn away other predators. This defense Berenbaum noted has the advantage of warning a predator of a prey's toxicity without requiring the prey to lose a limb.
#Sipping Tarantula Venom Kills Crop-Eating Insects The venom in a tarantula's fangs packs a lethal punch
A component of the spider venom is especially effective against the cotton bollworm a pest that attacks crop plants.
In the last decade researchers have been investigating bioinsecticides proteins derived from natural sources such as spider venom.
The World's Creepiest Spiders In the study researchers milked venom from Australian tarantulas (Selenotypus plumipes)
Venoms from other insect-eating animals such as centipedes and scorpions may also contain peptides that could be used as bioinsecticides.
The breakthrough discovery that spider toxins can have oral activity has implications not only for their use as bioinsecticides
but also for spider-venom peptides that are being considered for therapeutic use study researcher Glenn King of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland Australiaâ said in a statement.
S. plumipes is one of Australia's largest spiders but is not harmful to humans.
Using creative decorations almost any food can be turned into a spider witch or vampire. For frozen treats such as mini ice pops or frozen yogurt using a cooler filled with dry ice can give a spooky smoky effect enticing kids to choose the treats.
#Spider Traps Prey Using Amazing Ladder Webs Scientists have gotten a rare glimpse of the enigmatic odd-clawed spider
After sunset the spiders stand facing down from the odd-looking web waiting for insects to get caught
The spider uses a thicker silky piece of webbing as a zip-like type connection between the external webs and the more secure tree hollow.
The natural history of this spider was described in September in the journal Zookeys. Follow us@livescienceâ Facebook &â Google+.
#The Amazing Mating Dance of the Peacock Spider The animal dances and lifts up its tail-flap which once unfurled resembles an abstract Indian blanket of intense color.
Meet the peacock spider. Males from several species within this group of spiders put on remarkable mating displays to win over mates of the opposite gender.
JÃ rgen Otto has done perhaps more than anybody else to document and share footage of this arachnid's terrific breeding ritual it has won even over people who previously hated spiders Otto told Livescience.
Watch the Peacock Spider's Mating Dance For a creature so tiny most species are around an eighth of an inch (a few millimeters) long the display is surprisingly complex and visual.
Due to their tiny size and perhaps because they only live in certain areas in Australia the animals haven't been documented well.
But Otto an entomologist who usually studies marine mites is working to change that. Livescience corresponded with Otto to hear more about his experiences with these remarkable animals.
What's your favorite thing about peacock spiders? JÃ rgen Otto: I realize that they are colorful but to me that is not the most important aspect since
People associate complex behavior usually with large animals usually vertebrates animals with backbones so it is unexpected very to see a similar behavior in much smaller invertebrates in particular spiders that most people hate so much.
Incredible Photos of Peacock Spiders I also love the way they interact with their environment how they exhibit fear excitement and curiosity.
These spiders are perceived as cute even by the staunchest of arachnophobes and I regularly get comments from people telling me how watching my videos have helped them to overcome their fear of spiders.
I also like that it requires a lot of patience and persistence to observe photograph or film them.
How did you first get interested in peacock spiders? J. O.:I did not know anything about them until I stumbled over one during a walk in nearby bushland near Sydney purely by accident.
It attracted my attention in the way it jumped it seemed more nimble than other spiders.
and photograph the courtship of that spider for the first time. I realized that this was something very special and exciting not only for me but the entire world.
What is your favorite type of peacock spider? J. O.:That's a really a hard question to answer.
because my obsession with peacock spiders started with that species . However Maratus vespertilio is probably a close second.
Photos of Spiders LS: How do you film peacock spiders? J. O.:When I started to film them I had no idea about how to go about it.
I simply thought one day to explore the video option on my DSLR a Canon 7d with a 100 mm macro lens.
me to follow the spiders on the ground and use natural lighting. Once you find a place where they occur you simply have to search for specimens
but was known not to exist outside the lab until scientists observed it in geladas. 5. Spider cannibals The female Stegodyphus spider is the ultimate selfless mother.
Once the babies are about a month old mommy spider rolls onto her back letting her babies climb aboard.
Beetles scorpions and other insects may not be found on most restaurant menus at least in the Western world
Unlike pollen which appears only in the warm weather months mold can lurk in your house year-round. 5. Dust Mites are small (hundreds can live in a single gram of dust) eight-legged creatures
that belong to the same family as spiders chiggers and ticks. These culprits are hardy creatures that live well
To that end Halberg studies how a water bug called a tardigrade can withstand spacelike conditions. The water bugs dehydrate
And as a result of the plunging bird population Guam is now overrun with up to 40 times more spiders than nearby Pacific islands.
and the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion can be 100000 times as spicy as the humble pimento pepper
For comparison a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion contains about the same amount of capsaicin as a shot-glass of law enforcement-grade pepper spray.
Other vulnerable pests include the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) the brown marmorated stinkbug (Halyomorpha halys) and ticks (Ixodes sp.
and these arachnids are ubiquitous throughout the U s . But tick bites are more than just an annoying spring and summer nuisance.
Each year about 300000 people in the U s. catch Lyme disease which is caused by bacteria from a tick bite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.
Thousands more develop tick-borne diseases such as the malarialike disease babesiosis the flulike anaplasmosis and the Heartland virus infection.
But people can take steps to avoid the nasty critters beyond the old-standby advice to cover up
From wood chips to a quick ride in the dryer here are 10 ways to avoid tick bites.
Watch a Tick Bite in Action 1. Repel the bugs Insecticides can be used to repel ticks said Thomas Mather a public health entomologist at the University of Rhode island and the director of tickencounter. org.
Permethrin the insecticide found in antimalarial bed nets kills adult ticks as well as those in their larval stage called nymphs which are the likeliest to harbor Lyme disease.
By contrast evidence suggests that the more common bug spray chemical NN-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) isn't useful against ticks.
It's not toxic to the ticks Mather told Live Science. They still can scurry across a DEET-treated surface
and camping aren't the most common ways to catch a tick-borne disease said Kirby Stafford III the state entomologist at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the author of the Tick Management Handbook.
We estimate three-fourths of people pick up the ticks in activities in and around the home with children's play and gardening being some of the riskiest activities Stafford told Live Science.
when they come in he said. 3. Stay in the sun Tick nymphs have leaky cuticles
As a result nymphs congregate in leaf piles in shady humid environments so sticking to sunny areas can reduce tick exposure he said. 4. Change the landscape Most ticks around homes stay within a few yards of the interface between the yard
To keep the yard tick-free use landscaping that deters mice deer woodchucks and other rodents that carry ticks he said.
People should also remove tick habitat such as leaf piles shrubs and groundcover near the house.
Play sets should be kept in the sun away from the shade he added. Ticks won't cross a barrier of wood chips placed around the yard's perimeter perhaps
because the dry material makes them dry out too much he said. 5. Check the dog Though American dog ticks don't usually harbor diseases that sicken people the lone star tick can often hitchhike on a pet into the home so pet owners should check pets for the bugs as soon as they come indoors.
Give them a good rub down and give them a good spray with the hose. They hate it
but you can make it fun Donohoe said. 6. Cover up Covering up can prevent ticks from latching on said Holly Donohoe a researcher at the University of Florida who studies the health risks of travel and sports.
but in this case it can save you the suffering from a tick-borne disease later on Donohoe said.
Of course that advice may be hard to follow during peak tick season Stafford said. In the summer months nobody is going to do that it's too hot.
Nymphal ticks are about the size of a poppy seed so if you wear lighter-colored clothing like light socks lighter-colored pants you're going to have an easier time identifying them. 8. Quick dry clothing
Because ticks are so vulnerable to drying out the hitchhiking parasites can be killed by giving clothing a quick whirl in the dryer on high heat for five minutes Mather said.
Ticks can survive the wash and people who have to both wash and dry their clothes may just toss their clothing into a pile for later.
It's better to do a quick dry cycle immediately than to let the tick linger he said. 9. Shower
and do a tick inspection and shower. People who are in the habit of showering immediately after outdoor activities are less likely to get Lyme disease perhaps
because they can catch any biting ticks before they've transmitted the disease Stafford said.
After biting ticks can take several hours to transmit Lyme disease said Laura Kramer the director of the Arbovirus Laboratory at the New york state Department of health's Wadsworth Center. 10.
Remove the tick If after taking all these precautions people do get bitten they should remove the tick immediately with tweezers
or forceps experts said. It's important to visit a doctor if flulike symptoms or a suspicious rash appear
and to bring the tick in for testing by a state health department to see if it harbors any diseases Kramer told Live Science.
Courtesy of Michigan State university) Whip Spiders Whip spiders aren't spiders but they are arachnids (a group that includes spiders scorpions mites and ticks).
These creatures called amblypygids belong to their own order of arachnids and are known also (erroneously) as tailless whip scorpions.
And though their beady eyes spindly legs and bulbous bodies make the creatures look fearsome they are utterly harmless.
In Photos: The Amazing Arachnids of the World They possess no venom glands and many species are said quite passive Eileen Hebets a biology researcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who studies amblypygids.
I often collect animals by pinning them to a tree trunk with two fingers and then using my thumb underneath their bodies to pull them off of the tree.
Specifically they have known the largest mushroom body (a brain structure found in some invertebrates) of any arthropod relative to their body size.
The arthropod mushroom body is a higher-order processing center that is thought to be involved in learning
Another reason to respect these giant arthropods? They can live for up to 100 years. There are crabs walking around right
Ed Louis) Goliath Bird-Eating Spider If you don't like spiders you really won't like Goliath bird-eating spiders as these hairy tarantulas have a leg span that can reach up to 11 inches (28 centimeters.
The Goliath bird-eating tarantula is big and'fangy'and both factors cause some people to fear them said Chris Buddle an arachnologist who studies arthropod ecology at Mcgill University.
However their name is not'Goliath human-eating tarantula'for good reason: We are not their prey.
We shouldn't be fearful of them because they pose no risk to us.##In fact they don't pose much of a risk to birds either.
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