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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.
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,
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.
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,
#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,
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
#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.
#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
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.
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
that belong to the same family as spiders chiggers and ticks. These culprits are hardy creatures that live well
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.
and these arachnids are ubiquitous throughout the U s . But tick bites are more than just an annoying spring and summer nuisance.
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.
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.
#Did'Deadly'Spider Eggs Really Hitch a Ride on Imported Bananas? It's enough to make you do a double take the next time you unpack your groceries!
A recent British news report claimed that imported bananas could play host to a certain species of venomous spiders.
A woman in Essex England recently discovered that a bunch of bananas delivered to her home by a local grocer was infested with spider eggs.
and reportedly identified the eggs as those belonging to the immense and deadly Brazilian wandering spider according to MSN New zealand.
It's unlikely that the woman's bananas were infested truly with deadly spider eggs said Richard Vetter a retired research associate of entomology at the University of California Riverside.
Photos of Spiders There are several reasons why fruit lovers should think twice before believing stories about scary spiders found in the produce aisle Vetter told Live Science.
For one thing in this particular case no spider was found hanging around the bananas making it nearly impossible to know what kind of spider
(if there even was had a spider laid the enigmatic eggs. Egg sacks are much harder to identify than spiders.
To identify them you need familiarity with the spider first then the egg sack Vetter said.
It's unlikely that British exterminators would be intimately familiar with the egg sacks of spiders from South and Central america he added.
However it is possible that the eggs in question belonged to an arachnid Vetter said. There are several genera of spider that sometimes survive the long trip from banana-producing nations such as Brazil Mexico Nicaragua and Costa rica to other parts of the world.
Among them are Phoneutria and Cupiennius two types of spiders that are commonly known as wandering spiders.
Wandering spiders are named for their tendency to wander around looking for food instead of spinning a web.
As nocturnal hunters both Phoneutria and Cupiennius sometimes seek out shelter during the day under the broad leaves of banana trees.
And because of their preference for these fruit trees species of both genera at times wind up in grocery stores
Typically when one of these big hairy spiders shows up overseas it automatically gets labeled as a deadly Brazilian wandering spider without anyone identifying
what genus or species the spider belongs to Vetter said. And that's a shame he said
because only one of the two genera of wandering spiders Phoneutria contains species that could actually pose a threat to humans.
The other genus Cupiennius contains some big but totally harmless spiders. There are 12 species of Phoneutria
However few of these spiders pose a significant risk to humans he added. Still there is a type of Brazilian wandering spider called Phoneutria fera that is widely considered to be the most dangerous spider On earth.
The species lives in the middle of the Amazon rainforest far from banana-producing areas. While it isn't impossible for this spider to find its way to England
or other foreign nations inside a banana crate it's highly unlikely Vetter said. There are also two other species of Phoneutria commonly labeled as deadly P. nigriventer and P. keyserlingi.
These spiders live on the eastern coast of Brazil near centers of banana production but their reputations as deadly pests are exaggerated greatly Vetter said.
Somebody did a study in Eastern Brazil back in 2000 that looked at 422 Brazilian wandering spider bites.
The only people to die from the bites were two small children Vetter said The adult victims of this notorious arachnid experienced either mild symptoms
Brazilian wandering spiders are only found in Brazil and the country consumes most of its banana crop domestically Vetter said.
or any other banana-producing nation then those eggs didn't belong to one of the deadly species of Brazilian wandering spiders he added.
Spiders scorpions millipedes and centipedes survived as well as the newer groups of beetles. The only new insect group of the Triassic was the grasshoppers.
</p><p>For many spiders the act of mating signals that their lives are about to end remember Charlotte'
For several species of the<em>Stegodyphus</em>spiders motherly love goes even further than watching over the nest.
</p><p>When the babies are around a month old the mother spider rolls over on her back allowing the spiderlings to clamber over her kill her by injecting their venom
heaps of neon-pink sea stars glow-in-the-dark jellies floating spookily by yellow sea spiders breathing through holes in their bodies amphipods toothfish and yes hundreds of swirling seals.
I came to collect millipedes the many-legged cousins of insects and spiders. My goal was to survey the state s species photographing
#Explorers Eat Fried Tarantulas at Black-tie Gala NEW YORK Goat testicles earthworms python and jellyfish were on the menu here at the Waldorf Astoria hotel Saturday night (March 15).
and fried tarantulas were served on sticks. Eaters in gowns and tuxedos found even the most innocuous-looking appetizers such as mozzarella
Millipedes centipedes and arachnids continued to diversify during the Devonian period. The earliest known insect Rhyniella praecusor was a flightless hexapod with antennae and a segmented body.
and colors such as the bright red patch on the abdomens of black widow spiders scientists have had little success actually proving these patterns are a means of species-wide communication in the guenons Allen said.
Some monkeys also eat meat in the form of bird's eggs small lizards insects and spiders.
A dinosaur spider armored fish and ghost shrimp are some the other creatures named for the naturalist.
and thousands of spiders and scorpions that were used for biomedical research. The curator Franciso Franco has told press agencies that its destruction on 15 may was a loss to humanity.
spiders with their mouthparts glued shut, so that they could induce fear without killing the grasshoppers.
Grasshoppers that were exposed to spiders switched from eating protein-rich grasses to munching on several species of sugary goldenrod plants.
Initially, this diet shift was thought to be related to how easy it is for grasshoppers to hide from spiders in the branched and flowering goldenrod.
Hawlena also studied grasshoppers and muzzled spiders in indoor terrariums. Instead of plants, the grasshoppers were fed with an artificial diet of high-sugar
the spider-goat--and that's just today. Our favorite though is this live-streaming goat-cam showing off the Nigerian dwarf goats of a farm in Minnesota.
I'd consider some sort of punishment for the websites that keep spamming this site. maybe some sort of spider that answers all the spam ads in annoying and useless ways s
Literally every insectivorous animal in the northeast--songbirds carnivorous birds (hawks owls) opossums foxes cats shrews snakes spiders and even dogs--will gorge on cicadas.
#What I Learned Hunting Decoy-Weaving Spiders In The Amazontambopata PERU--In a remote area of the Peruvian Amazon lives a type of spider with a peculiar habit:
It builds a spider-shaped decoy in its web out of dead insects and other detritus and
which resembles an arachnid much bigger than itself. The idea is that these spider-shaped web additions scare away predators
but nobody knows for sure. Only discovered less than two years ago scientists know little about these marvelously strange web-weavers
The spiders live near the Tambopata Research center in Peru's wild Madre de dios region. To get here you have to fly through Lima to Puerto Maldonado a rambling mining town through
and a head lamp--275 lumens strong enough to spot an Amazon bamboo rat from a football field away easy--who's just returned from a walk to find spiders.
With him is Aaron Pomerantz a graduate student from Florida who has come for 10 days to help gather data on spiders who is friendly and inclusive.
nevertheless tastes delicious before going to see a fist-sized tarantula that lives in a nearby hole.
A five minute walk away we find the first decoy a relatively well-made one that looks like spider albeit with six legs.
and makes the spider-like decoy appear to waggle in a kind of dance. The spider is a puppeteer.
During the eight days that I am here Reeves and Pomerantz locate and photograph scores of these spiders
and I helped find a few too. To spot one you walk slowly through the jungle with your headlamp beam on even at high noon;
The decoy-building spider is thought to be a species in the genus Cyclosa and Reeves and colleagues plan to formally describe the species
Six months earlier while researching butterfly diversity Reeves discovered a similar spider in the jungles of the Philippines that likewise makes spider-shaped decoys in its web albeit of a slightly different shape.
although these blobs are not as convincing or impressive as those of the newfound spiders.
Why do the spiders build these decoys in the first place? The working hypothesis is that these spider shapes fool
and scare away damselflies which feed on small spiders but avoid larger ones. These insects in the family Pseudostigmatidae are the largest damselflies in the world.
To the untrained eye they resemble dragonflies. Our working hypothesis which we plan on testing is that the Cyclosa makes a decoy spider that is larger than the size of spiders Pseudostigmatids will take thereby gaining some protection from being eaten by these spider specialists says Ola Fincke a collaborating researcher at the University of Oklahoma
and the world expert on helicopter damselflies as Reeves puts it. Over the course of my trip and Reeves's month in the jungle he goes about laying the groundwork to test this hypothesis
if the winged creatures pluck more spiders from webs where the decoys have been removed--that would provide evidence that the decoys are meant indeed to scare off the insects.
A big part of the trip has involved also the seemingly mundane task of photographing the spiders and their webs.
and Pomerantz who are mad for understanding the intracices of animal life here especially the infinite strangeness of small beasts like spiders--nothing seems banal.
One afternoon Reeves and Pomerantz are photographing the spiders this time back in the lab
From time to time Pomerantz gently corrals the spider with the tip of a small paintbrush to prevent it from running off this white plane
Wait a second Reeves says as he snaps a photo of a spider and zooms in on the camera's screen.
when the pair photographs what they'd thought were spider eggs laying within the decoy.
I was going to say--that looks oddly like a spider for an egg Pomerantz says.
While it's not unusual for spiders in this family to lay eggs in their stabilimenta the technical name for these web decorations the spiderlings usually make a break for it shortly after hatching.
and Pomerantz place a couple in two newly-devised observation boxes that force the spiders to build webs parallel to the clear plastic sides perfect for viewing by humans.
Much to their surprise one of the Cyclosa spiders builds a spiral P shape when the decoy is removed from its web that looks shockingly like the Peruvian P that adorns much of the country's tourist paraphernalia
Perhaps the spiders are just patriotic. Reeves has also found out that the spiders don't tolerate artificial stuff in their webs.
Just to see what would happen he puts glitter (colored blue and orange representing the University of Florida) into the animals silken home
and Reeves thinks that's because of the romanticized idea behind it that people are thinking these spiders are so clever that they're building these structures that look like larger spiders.
But it's not like the spiders are looking at another spider and designing it based on that--this design is just
Spiders that have these more spider-like-looking decoys are more successful than those who don't.
It's not the spider itself it's evolution--that's the amazing thing. The spiders are dummies Reeves continues using term he often applies to his beloved arachnids with bemused affection
but at the same time they are smart enough to make the decision to know what should and shouldn't go into that structure.
There is always the possibility that the decoys have another function for example to lure parasites/predators of larger spiders all the better to eat.
and circumstance didn't allow for studying silk-henge small webby towers built by an as yet-unknown type of spider perhaps to defend eggs against wasps).
The team doesn't yet have a permit to collect the spiders but is working to get one.
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