Tag Archives: spider

Newly Found Spider Web Traverses Two Countries, Hosting 100,000 Creatures

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For those with arachnophobia, it might be best to look away, as scientists have unearthed the largest spider colony in the world.

The nest spans 106 square meters (1,140 square feet) and is believed to host up to 111,000 spiders—roughly half the size of a tennis court.

Recently, researchers published their findings in Underground Biology, revealing that two distinct species of spiders formed this massive colony.

This remarkable spider colony is situated in the Sulfur Caves of the Vromoner Valley, straddling the Greece-Albania border.

The nest resides in a permanently dark section of the cave, extending 50 meters (164 feet) from the entrance through a narrow, low-ceilinged passage. It comprises a multilayered patchwork of individual funnels that merge to create a spongy mass.

Researchers estimate the colony houses around 69,000 spiders, including Tegenaria domestica (commonly known as the barn funnel weaver or common house spider) and approximately 42,000 of The Vagrant of Prineligone species.

While these two species often coexist nearby, they typically do not share close quarters.

In fact, barn funnel weavers usually prey on smaller creatures, including The Vagrant of Prineligone. A truce between the two is unlikely, as the low light within the cave hinders the spiders’ vision.

Tegenaria domestica hides in a funnel-shaped nest and emerges when prey approaches – Credit: Getty

Instead, the spiders primarily feed on non-stinging midges, which swarm thickly in proximity to their colonies. These midges thrive on nutrients provided by natural springs and sustained by the sulfur-rich river navigating through the cave.

DNA analysis indicates that these spiders are genetically distinct from their surface relatives, highlighting adaptations to their unique environment.

Conversely, a sulfur-rich diet significantly diminishes the variety of gut microbiota.

Both factors imply that these spiders do not intermingle with their cousins found above ground.

The colony was initially discovered in 2022 by a group of cavers from the Czech Speleological Society during their exploration of the area.

A team of researchers followed up in 2024, estimating the spider population by counting the web funnels and collecting specimens for further analysis.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Stunning Close-Up of Spider Silk Earns Scientific Photography Award

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spider silk

Martin J. Ramirez/Royal Society Publishing

The silk threads, surrounded by finer looped strands, originate from Australian cast-net spiders (Asianopis sublufa), known as exceptional ambush predators. Instead of crafting a web and waiting for their prey, these spiders utilize their four front legs to control the web and ensnare their unfortunate target. This electron microscopy image reveals the spider’s silk, which is uniquely tailored for this peculiar hunting method. The silk structure features an elastic core enveloped in a sheath of firmer fibers of varying thicknesses, ensuring it is both robust and highly flexible.

The photograph was captured by Martin J. Ramirez, whose team at Argentina’s Bernardino Rivadavia Museum of Natural Sciences clinched the top prize at the 2025 Royal Society Publication Photography Competition.

prairie chicken in mid-air

Peter Hudson/Royal Society Publishing

The standout photo in the behavior category depicts a confrontation between two male prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido). Captured by Peter Hudson from Pennsylvania State University, this image illustrates the males gathering in leks during mating season, engaging in aerial displays to compete for female attention.

tadpole

Filippo Carugati/Royal Society Publishing

Filippo Carugati from the University of Turin, Italy, earned recognition in the Ecology and Environmental Sciences category for capturing this tadpole during an expedition in Madagascar. This juvenile is believed to be a Gibemantis liber, residing in a gelatinous substance that clings to tree trunks.

atlas moth

Irina Petrova Adamatzky/Royal Society Publishing

The image was taken by Irina Petrova Adamatzky, a UK-based photographer and runner-up in the behavioral category. The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), one of the largest moth species globally with wingspans reaching up to 30 centimeters, exhibits remarkable mimicry that resembles snake heads at the tips of its wings, providing camouflage against avian predators.

fog in the Atacama desert

Felipe Ríos Silva/Royal Society Publishing

In Chile’s Atacama Desert, stratocumulus clouds that flow in from the coast serve as a vital resource. Felipe Ríos Silva, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, is investigating ways to capture this fog and convert it into potable water for residents living in one of Earth’s driest regions. His photo earned him the runner-up spot in the Earth Science and Climatology category.

Antarctic sunrise

Dr. Aman Chokshi/Royal Society Publishing

This photograph captures the sun’s emergence after six months of darkness in Antarctica. Dr. Aman Chokshi, a runner-up in the astronomy category at McGill University in Canada, braved brutal -70°C (-94°F) winds and heated his camera to take a 360-degree panoramic shot of the horizon as the sun rose, transforming it into a three-dimensional image that resembles a small planet encircled by green and purple auroras alongside the Milky Way.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Webb Takes Stunning Images of the Red Spider Nebula.

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Utilizing the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have obtained fresh images of the Red Spider Nebula, a prominent planetary nebula located in the constellation Sagittarius.

This web image showcases the Red Spider Nebula. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Webb/JH Kastner, Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Red Spider Nebula was identified by American astronomer and physicist Edward Charles Pickering on July 15, 1882.

This astronomical object is located roughly 12,420 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius.

Commonly referred to as NGC 6537, ESO 590-1, and IRAS 18021-1950, it has an approximate radius of 3.6 light-years.

“Planetary nebulae, like the Red Spider Nebula, form when average stars, such as our Sun, reach the conclusion of their life cycles,” Webb astronomers noted in a statement.

“As these stars expand into cool red giants, they shed their outer layers, propelling them into space and revealing their hot white cores.”

“Ultraviolet radiation from the central star ionizes the ejected material, causing it to emit light.”

“The planetary nebula stage of a star’s lifecycle is both spectacular and brief, lasting only tens of thousands of years.”

“This Webb image displays the central star of the Red Spider Nebula, which shines slightly brighter than the dusty gas web surrounding it.”

In optical images from telescopes such as Hubble, the stars appear faintly blue.

However, in the NIRCam image, it appears red. Webb’s sensitive near-infrared capabilities have unveiled the hot dust enveloping the central star.

“This hot dust likely orbits the central star in a disk-like formation,” the astronomers explained.

“Even though only one star is visible at the nebula’s center, a concealed companion star may exist there.”

“Such a stellar companion could account for the nebula’s shape, including its distinctive narrow waist and broad jets.”

“This hourglass configuration is also observed in other planetary nebulae, like the Butterfly Nebula, which Webb has also recently studied.”

“Webb’s fresh perspective on the Red Spider Nebula reveals, for the first time, the complete extent of the nebula’s extended lobes that resemble the spider’s ‘legs,'” researchers stated.

“These lobes, depicted in blue, are traced by light emitted from H.2, a molecule consisting of two hydrogen atoms bonded together.”

“These lobes, which are visible across NIRCam’s field of view, are shown to be closed, bubble-like structures, each stretching about three light-years.”

“Gas streaming from the core of the nebula has inflated these massive bubbles over countless years.”

“New observations from Webb indicate that gas is also actively being ejected from the nebula’s center.”

“A protracted purple ‘S’ shape at the nebula’s center follows light from ionized iron atoms.”

“This feature illustrates where a fast-moving jet has emerged near the nebula’s central star, colliding with previously ejected material and shaping the nebula’s undulating structure that we observe today.”

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Fossilized Brains Prompt a Reevaluation of Spider Evolution

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Morrison, a marine creature from the Cambrian period, could represent an early arachnid

Junnn11 @ni075 CC BY-SA 4.0

Research indicates that the brains of ancient sea creatures, dating back over 500 million years, were structured similarly to those of spiders. This challenges past theories that arachnids originated on land.

Morrison reflects a time of significant biological diversity increase, known as the Cambrian Explosion, when various animal groups began appearing in fossil records. These creatures possessed chelicerae, pincer-like mouthparts likely used for tearing into small prey.

Previous beliefs suggested that modern relatives of Morrison, which include horseshoe crabs, were connected to spiders. However, Nicholas Strausfeld and his team at the University of Arizona propose otherwise.

The researchers reexamined specimens of Mollisonia symmetrica, collected in 1925 from British Columbia, Canada, and now housed at Harvard University’s Comparative Zoology Museum. Strausfeld and his colleagues identified a brain structure that had previously been overlooked.

In horseshoe crabs, the chelicerae exhibit a neural connection at the back of the brain; however, in Morrison, this structure was inverted, with chelicerae linked to two neural regions that offered a perspective on the forefront of the nervous system.

Strausfeld notes that this orientation is “characteristic of arachnid brains.” Unlike the brains of crustaceans and insects, which are folded inward, arachnids have crucial areas for planning agile movements situated at the back. This architecture likely contributes to the remarkable agility and speed seen in spiders.

While it was previously thought that arachnids evolved on land, the earliest existing land fossils of obvious arachnids will not appear for millions of years later, according to Strausfeld. “Perhaps the first arachnids inhabited tidal environments, like Morrison, in search of prey,” he mentions.

Mike Lee, a researcher at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, who was not involved in the study, suggests that Morrison may now be viewed as a primitive arachnid. “We now recognize it possessed a brain akin to that of a spider, indicating it was an aquatic relative of the early spiders and scorpions,” Lee states.

Nonetheless, he cautions that while researchers strive to extract as much insight as possible from a single fossil, there remains a degree of ambiguity in interpretation. “It’s akin to attempting to piece together a unique Pavlova after it has been dropped,” he explains.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Sea Spider Farm: Harnessing Bacteria for Methane Consumption

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The spider of the genus Celico Sura

Biance Dalbo

Spider-like organisms dwelling near methane seepage seem to infiltrate the seabed, consuming microbes within their bodies that oxidize energy-dense gas. This discovery broadens the understanding of entities that rely on symbiotic associations with microorganisms in these alien settings.

Shana Goffredi from Occidental College, California, along with her team, has investigated marine arthropods named for their resemblance to ahinides, which thrive near three distinct methane seeps in the Pacific Ocean. They previously identified three new species from the sea spider genus Celico Sura, noted to be plentiful exclusively near these gas seepages.

In contrast, other sea spider species, which do not inhabit methane seep regions, primarily feed on various invertebrates. However, researchers have found that these newly identified sea spiders primarily acquire nutrition by ingesting a specific range of bacterial species residing in their bodies. These bacteria are capable of converting methane and methanol from the seepage into energy, something the sea spiders alone would not access.

Scientists observed that bacteria remained confined to the spiders’ exoskeletons, resembling “microbial fur coats,” and formed clusters that Goffredi describes as “volcanic-like.” The bacterial layer exhibited patterns resembling marks from a lawnmower, indicative of feeding by the spider’s robust “lips” and three tiny teeth.

To confirm that ocean spiders were actually consuming the bacteria, researchers employed radioactive labeling techniques to monitor the assimilation of methane carbon by laboratory sea spiders. “I observed methane being absorbed into the microorganisms on the spider’s surface, and subsequently traced carbon molecules migrating into the spider’s tissues,” Goffredi explains.

Researchers believe that ocean spiders do not consume all microorganisms growing on their exoskeletons. The species inhabiting the exoskeleton differ from those typically found in their surroundings, indicating a selection process is at play, Goffredi remarks. “The spiders are clearly cultivating and nurturing a unique microbial community.”

Sea spiders are not the first to cultivate microorganisms for chemical energy. “With every observation of these ecosystems near methane seeps, this phenomenon becomes increasingly evident,” notes Eric Cordes from Temple University, Pennsylvania. He previously collaborated with Goffredi on related studies, revealing a similar symbiosis in tube worms. The rich biodiversity near methane seepage is sustained not by solar energy but rather through methane and other chemicals. “That’s truly remarkable,” he remarks.

Cordes emphasizes that bacteria might also be transported along the surface of sea spiders. Unlike livestock on a farm, they gain superior protection and access to pastures. For instance, if methane seepage shifts to another area of the seabed, sea spiders could transfer bacteria to new locales. “Sea spiders maintain these organisms in an ideal habitat,” he adds.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Google: Britain’s Dispersed Spider Hackers Are “Encouraging” Cyberattacks

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As reported by Google, members of the UK-based spider-hacking community are actively “promoting” cyberattacks amid the increasing disruption faced by UK retailers in the US market.

A hacker collective known as the “scattered spiders” has been connected to attacks on British retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods. Google Cybersecurity experts have now warned that unidentified retailers in the Atlantic region are also under threat.

Charles Carmakal, the chief technology officer for Google’s Mandiant Cybersecurity division, noted that the threat has shifted to the US, following a pattern commonly observed with scattered spider attackers.


“They focus on a specific industrial sector and geographic location for a short period, before moving on to a new target,” he explained. “Currently, their attention is on retail organizations. They began in the UK and have now extended their focus to firms in the US.”

When asked about the involvement of British members in the M&S hacking, he stated, “While I can’t name specific victims, it’s clear that UK-based scattered spider members are promoting and facilitating these incursions.”

On Friday, it was disclosed that M&S alerted employees that some personal data may have been compromised during a cyber attack last month. Sources informed the Daily Telegraph that staff members were notified that their email addresses and full names were potentially exposed in the breach.

Earlier this week, M&S reported that hackers had accessed personal information of thousands of customers.

In light of these attacks on UK retailers, cybersecurity agencies have urged businesses to remain vigilant and aware of specific tactics employed by scattered spiders.

In an advisory notice, the National Cyber Security Center recommended businesses to leverage IT support to assist staff in resetting their passwords. One tactic associated with scattered spiders—named for a set of hacking tactics rather than a unified group—involves calling help desks to gain access to corporate systems while impersonating an employee or contractor.

“We have observed instances where they call the help desk, masquerade as employees, and convince the staff to reset their passwords,” Carmakal explained.

Carmakal also noted that these calls to help desks are sometimes made by younger members of the scattered spider network.

“It’s not always the threat actor themselves making the call… some tasks are outsourced to other community members, often younger individuals looking to earn some quick money through various schemes and inconsistencies,” he shared.

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Scattered spiders primarily consist of native English speakers from the UK, US, and Canada, which sets them apart from other ransomware groups. Karmakal mentioned that he has received reports of “numerous calls” made by scattered spider hackers to corporate employees.

Ransomware gangs typically infiltrate target computer systems with malware that effectively locks users out of their internal files. These groups usually originate from Russia or former Soviet states.

Carmakal’s remarks coincided with French luxury brand Dior disclosing that “fraudulent external parties” had accessed some customer data. The Paris-based brand has yet to clarify the nature or extent of the attacker’s incursions.

This week, Google’s cybersecurity team affirmed that scattered spiders have shifted their focus to US retailers.

“We are dedicated to offering a variety of services to our customers,” stated John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google Threat Intelligence Group. “The group that originally targeted retail in the UK, after a significant hiatus, has a track record of concentrating on one sector at a time, and we anticipate they will continue to prioritize this sector in the near future. US retailers should exercise caution.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

How “Native English” Scattered Spider Groups Are Connected to M&S Attacks

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One significant distinction between certain members of the dispersed spider hacking community and their ransomware counterparts is their accent.

The scattered spiders are connected to the cyberattacks on the British retailer Marks & Spencer. Unlike typical ransomware attackers, the individuals involved seem to be native English speakers, rather than hailing from Russia or former Soviet nations.

This linguistic advantage supports one of their techniques, which Russian hackers may find difficult to emulate. They can infiltrate systems by calling company desks and impersonating employees or by contacting employees while posing as someone from their company desk.

“Being a native English speaker can foster immediate trust. Even internal staff and IT teams may let their guard down slightly due to perceived familiarity,”

Last November, the U.S. Department of Justice shed light on some suspected spider members by charging five individuals for targeting an unidentified American firm through a phishing text message.

The DOJ alleged that the accused sent fraudulent texts to employees, tricking them into divulging sensitive information, including company logins. This breach resulted in the theft of sensitive data, including intellectual property, and significant sums of cryptocurrency from digital wallets.

All the accused were in their 20s at the time of the allegations, with four of them aged between 20 and 25, and Tyler Buchanan, 23, from Scotland, who was extradited from Spain to the U.S. last week. He is set to appear in court in Los Angeles on May 12th.

The U.S. Cybersecurity Agency detailed the scattered spider IT desk strategy in an advisory released in 2023.

Notable ransomware victims of scattered spider attacks include casino operators MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, which were targeted in 2023. Following the attacks, the West Midlands police arrested a 17-year-old in Walsall last year. They have been contacted for further updates on this incident.

The scattered spider was identified as responsible for the M&S breach by BleepingComputer, a high-tech news platform. The report indicated that the attackers employed malicious software known as Dragonforce to compromise parts of the retailer’s IT network.

These incidents are categorized as ransomware attacks because the attackers typically demand substantial payments in cryptocurrency to restore access to compromised systems. Leveraging ransomware from other gangs is a common occurrence, known as the model of ransomware-as-a-service.

Analysts from cybersecurity firm Recorded Future remarked that “scattered spiders” is more of an “umbrella term” rather than a specific group of financially motivated cybercriminals. They noted it stemmed from “The Com” rather than “monolithic entities,” and is engaged in various criminal activities, including sextortion, cyberstalking, and payment card fraud.


“We operate within a channel and affiliate marketing framework, primarily on platforms like Discord and Telegram, mostly in exclusive invitation-only channels and groups,” stated the analyst.

Ciaran Martin, former head of the UK’s National Cybersecurity Centre, remarked that scattered spiders are “unusual” given their non-Russian origins.

“The vast majority of ransomware groups originate from Russia. [Scattered Spider] seems to have utilized Russian code for this attack with Dragonforce, but notably, they appear to be based here and in the U.S., which may facilitate their arrest.” Martin, now a professor at Brabatnik Government School at Oxford University, added:

Martin further emphasized that the youthful infamy of scattered spiders should not diminish the threat they pose. “They are indeed a rare but quietly menacing group,” he noted.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Everyone in the city must have a noise canceling device or perhaps even a pet spider.

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When you’re about to have a nice meal, nothing worse than a noisy neighbor. Even if the meal is made up before it liquefies the inside of the prey.

New research shows that some spiders living in cities somehow weave soundproofing designs into the web structure to manage unnecessary noise.

“The University of Nebraska Lincoln” has announced that Irene Hebetz, author of the paper led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln biologist and university postdoctoral researcher Brandi Pessman.

Funnel web spiders are becoming more common in North America. These quarter-sized spiders, with their legs stretched, attach nets to everything, whether they are rocks, grass or human objects. They weave a kind of funnel into a web that usually hides from predators. Their silk is not sticky, so they rely on speed and ambush. After detecting prey into their nets, they burst and attacked, injected the victim with venom, then liquefying the inside for easy digestion.

Spiders don’t have human ears, so they don’t necessarily listen to things in the traditional way. However, sound produces vibrations that travel through the ground into the net through the chains of silk.

“They really rely on those exact vibrations to determine where their prey is, what their prey is, and whether they’re going to attack,” Dr. Pessman said.

“The sense of vibration tends to be forgotten in nature,” added Beth Mortimer, a biologist who studied noise pollution and was not involved in the study at Oxford University. This species builds both urban and rural nets at home. And Dr. Pessman began to wonder whether noise pollution might plague spiders enough to change their web weaving strategies.

in study Presented in the Journal Current Biology last week, Dr. Pessman and Dr. Hebets rounded up Arachnid City Slickers and Country Bumbkins and took them to the lab. They placed each spider in a container with the speakers on the bottom and played loud or quiet white noise for four days.

The researchers then analyzed the webs constructed by each spider by transmitting measured vibrations at different points.

Dr. Hebbets and Dr. Pessmann could not find any major differences in the way urban spiders and farm spiders communicate vibrations when they play quiet noises.

When they played loud noises on urban spiders, they discovered that their web was less sensitive and less vibrations to the funnel. “Their web was inherently quiet,” Dr. Pessman said. Researchers didn’t know how the web differed structurally, but Dr. Pessman said it was clear that “it reduces the constant noise approaching where they sit.”

Conversely, when the country’s spiders heard a loud noise, they created a more sensitive web. Researchers speculated that they were not used to such rackets and were desperately trying to feel the incoming prey. It’s like turning up a TV as the lawnmower passes by the window.

Meanwhile, city spiders essentially filled the wall because everything was boring. This is an adaptation that puts you at a disadvantage to hear your prey and potential companions, using vibrations to communicate availability. But it may help animals save their energy and not respond to all the city sounds they detect.

“If you have masking noise, that means you’re less likely to detect small items coming into your web,” said Dr. Mortimer, who said the study “doesn’t really well.”

The study highlights the refinement of spiders, Hebbets said, because despite the problems with big cities, he came up with solutions to find food and companions.

“Animal sensory systems can certainly adapt to changes in environmental conditions over time, but this takes time,” Dr. Hebbets said. “However, behavioral changes can be immediate.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Scientists unravel the composition of the unique toxin found in black widow spider venom

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Black widow spider venom contains a cocktail of seven specific latrotoxins, but only one, alpha-latrotoxin, targets vertebrates, including humans. chemist of University of Munster They have now deciphered the structure of alpha-latrotoxin before and after membrane insertion at near atomic resolution.

Cryo-EM structures of α-latrotoxin in two different tetrameric states. Image credit: Klink others., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52635-5.

Latrotoxin is the main toxic component of the venom of black widow spiders (genus). latrodectus).

The toxins include five insecticidal toxins known as α-latrotoxin, α-, β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-latroinsect toxins, which are unique to vertebrates, and one toxin that is unique to crustaceans.

“Alpha-latrotoxin interferes with nervous system signal transmission,” said researcher Björn Klinck and colleagues at the University of Münster.

“As soon as alpha-latrotoxin binds to specific receptors at the synapse (contacts between nerve cells or between nerve cells and muscles), calcium ions flow uncontrollably into the presynaptic membrane of the signal-transmitting cell.”

“This triggers the release of neurotransmitters, which causes strong muscle contractions and spasms.”

“Although this process seems simple at first glance, there are very complex mechanisms behind it.”

To better understand the mechanism of calcium influx into the presynaptic membrane, the authors used high-performance cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations.

They showed that alpha-latrotoxin undergoes significant changes when it binds to the receptor.

Some of the toxic molecules form stalks and penetrate the cell membrane like a syringe.

As a special feature, this stalk forms small pores in the membrane, which act as calcium channels.

MD simulations revealed that calcium ions can enter the cells through a selection gate on the side directly above the pore.

“This toxin mimics the function of calcium channels in the presynaptic membrane in a very complex way,” said Christos Gatsogiannis, a researcher at the University of Münster.

“Therefore, it is different in every way from any toxin known to date.”

“The new discovery opens up a wide range of potential applications.”

“Latrotoxin has considerable biotechnological potential, including the development of improved antidotes, treatments for paralysis, and new biopesticides.”

of study Published in a magazine nature communications.

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Clink BU others. 2024. Structural basis of α-latrotoxin transition to cation-selective pores. Nat Commune 15, 8551; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52635-5

Source: www.sci.news

Illinois Unearths Remarkable 308-Million-Year-Old Fossil of Spiny Spider

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The forests of the Late Carboniferous Period (about 300-320 million years ago) were home to a wide variety of arachnids. In addition to the familiar spiders, harvestmen, and scorpions, there were other strange kinds of spider-like animals. new paper this month, paleontology journal a pair of paleontologists explained. douglas sarachne echinopod a large spider-like arachnid with highly spiny legs (presumably to deter predators) from the world-famous Mason Creek fossil site in Illinois, USA.

douglas sarachne echinopod. Image credit: Paul Selden and Jason Dunlop, doi: 10.1017/jpa.2024.13.

“douglas sarachne echinopod “It comes from Illinois' famous Mason Creek and is approximately 308 million years old,” said Dr. Paul Selden, a paleontologist at the University of Kansas and the Natural History Museum in London.

“This compact arachnid, about 1.5 cm long, has surprisingly strong, spiny legs, and is completely unlike any other known arachnid, living or extinct.”

“Coal measurements are an important source of information about fossil arachnids and represent the first time in Earth's history that most living groups of arachnids arose together. However, the fauna remains quite different from what it is today. It was different.”

Dr Jason Dunlop, a paleontologist at the Berlin Museum of Nature, said: 'Spiders are a fairly rare group, only known from primitive lineages at the time, and they are similar to a variety of long-extinct arachnids and these. They shared a shared ecosystem.”

“douglas sarachne echinopod is a particularly striking example of one of these extinct forms. ”

“Although this fossil's highly spiny legs are reminiscent of modern harvesters, its body structure is quite different from harvesters and other known arachnid groups.”

douglas sarachne echinopod The researchers discovered that it does not belong to any known order of Araneidae.

“Unfortunately, we can't see details such as the mouth parts, so it's difficult to say exactly which group of arachnids are our closest relatives,” Dr Selden said.

“It may belong to a broader group that includes spiders, whip spiders and whip scorpions.”

“Whatever their evolutionary similarities, these spiny arachnids likely come from a time when arachnids were experimenting with different body plans.”

“Some of these later became extinct, probably shortly after the Mason Creek era, during the so-called 'Carboniferous rainforest collapse,' when coal forests began to fragment and disappear. Or perhaps these strange arachnids are hanging on until the mass extinction at the end of the Permian?”

Specimen douglas sarachne echinopod It was discovered in clay and ironstone concretions by Bob Macek in the 1980s.

Macek introduced a common method of cracking stones by leaving them outdoors in water over the winter, allowing frost to penetrate the natural cracks in the stones along the fossil-containing surface.

A sharp hammer blow split the stone along a plane, exposing the fossil.

Around 1990, David Douglas acquired a specimen from Bob, at which point it became part of the David and Sandra Douglas Collection and was displayed in the Douglas Family Museum of Prehistoric Life.

In 2023, when it became clear that the specimen was a new species, David Douglas donated it to the Field Museum of Natural History for study.

“Genus name douglas sarachne We recognize the Douglas family,” Dr. Dunlop said.

“after that, echinopods “Refers to the animal's unique and distinctive spiny legs.”

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Paul A. Selden and Jason A. Dunlop. A remarkable spiny arachnid from Mason Creek Lagerstätte, Pennsylvania, Illinois. paleontology journal, published online on May 17, 2024. Doi: 10.1017/jpa.2024.13

Source: www.sci.news

Mars Express uncovers mysterious ‘spider’ near ‘Inca City’ on Martian outskirts

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ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft found obvious traces of spider. They are scattered in the south pole region of Mars.

This image of an Inca city on Mars was taken on February 27, 2024 by the high-resolution stereo camera on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin.

“The Martian ‘spiders’ are not actual spiders, but form when spring sunlight falls on layers of carbon dioxide deposited during the dark winter,” said a member of the Mars Express team.

“Sunlight turns the carbon dioxide ice at the bottom of the layer into gas, which then accumulates and breaks through the ice sheet above.”

“During Mars’ spring, the gas explodes, dragging black material down to the surface as it progresses and shattering layers of ice up to a meter thick.”

“The resulting gas, laden with black dust, erupts through cracks in the ice in the form of tall fountains and geysers, before falling down and sinking to the surface.”

This creates a dark spot 45 m to 1 km (148 to 3,280 ft) in diameter.

This same process carves a distinctive “spider-shaped” pattern beneath the ice. Therefore, these black spots are evidence that a spider may be lurking underneath.

“Dark spots can be seen throughout the Mars Express image. But most of them can be seen as small specks in the dark region on the left, located just on the outskirts of a part of Mars called Inca City.” said the researchers.

“The reason for this name is no mystery: the network of linear, almost geometric ridges recalls Inca ruins.”

More formally known as Angustus Labyrinth. Inca City was discovered in 1972 by NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft.

“We still don’t know exactly how Inca cities formed. Sand dunes may have turned to stone over time,” the scientists said.

“Perhaps materials such as magma or sand are seeping through fractured sheets of Martian rock. Alternatively, the ridges could be ‘eskers,’ tortuous structures associated with glaciers.”

“The ‘walls’ of Inca cities appear to be part of a larger circle, 86 km (53.5 miles) in diameter.”

Scientists suspect that Inca City is located inside a large crater formed when rocks from space collided with the planet’s surface.

“This impact may have caused the fault to ripple in the surrounding plains, which was then filled with rising lava and then worn away over time,” the researchers said.

Source: www.sci.news

Newly discovered species of mimic spider uncovered in Copal, Colombia

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Myrmarachne colombiana This is the first species of ant-mimicking spider discovered in Colombian copal.

Myrmarachne colombiana. Image credit: George Poinar Jr. / Oregon State University.

“Ants are particularly well-suited for spiders to pretend to be ants,” said George Poyner Jr., a professor at Oregon State University. “Many animals find them unpalatable or dangerous to eat.” said.

“Ants are aggressive to protect themselves. They have strong bites and stinging venom, and can call on dozens of nestmates as allies.”

“Spiders, on the other hand, have no chemical defenses and are solitary, making them vulnerable to predators that want to avoid them, such as larger spiders, bees, and birds. So if spiders could become like ants, There is a high possibility that it will not be used.”

Myrmarachne colombiana It was discovered in a type of fossilized resin known as copal.

“Copal is a less mature form of fossilized resin than amber, which is typically more than 25 million years old. Still, copal can be up to 3 million years old.” Professor Poyner said.

“However, we were unable to determine the age of the resin in this case.”

“The resin blocks I was working with came from Medellin, Colombia, and were too small to perform aging tests without risking harming the spiders inside.”

According to the study, there are currently no records of living ant-mimicking spiders living in Colombia.

“For spiders, this magical transformation into ants is difficult to achieve. Ants have six legs and two long antennae, whereas spiders have eight legs, but only one antennae. “No,” Professor Poyner said.

“To get around these anatomical differences, spiders typically arrange their two front legs in a way that approximates the appearance of antennae.”

“But the number of legs and the presence or absence of antennae are not the only features that distinguish ants from spiders.”

“In spiders, the abdomen and cephalothorax are closely attached, whereas in ants these body parts are separated by narrow areas called petioles.”

“And there are many other small-scale structures that need to be modified to bring spiders closer to ants.” We say it starts with mutation, adaptation, and natural selection.”

“But I think spider reasoning and intelligence are also involved, because spiders often model the subsequent body changes of certain ants in the same environment.”

“In the early days, it was said that all insect behavior was the result of instinct, but this is no longer the case.”

“Some spider groups have developed the ability to look and behave like different types of ants, he added. Spiders that try to blend in with other insects, such as flies, beetles and wasps. There are some too.”

“Most of the mimic spiders belong to the few families that hunt, such as Jumping spiders and Jumping spiders. The Colombian copal specimen looks like a jumping spider.”

“Mimetic spiders also belong to the families Coringidae (Arachnidae), Tomisidae (Flower spiders), and Zodariidae (Arachidae or Arachnidae).”

of study It was published in the magazine historical biology.

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George Poyner. Myrmarachne colombiana sp. n. (Araneidae: Salticidae), a new species of ant-like spider that lives on copal from Colombia, South America. historical biology, published online March 7, 2024. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2320190

Source: www.sci.news

Stunning Shot of Spider Galaxy Captured by Hubble Space Telescope

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New photos from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show nearby irregular galaxy UGC 5829, also known as the Spider Galaxy.

This Hubble image shows UGC 5829, an irregular galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Sera. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Tully / M. Messa.

UGC 5829 It is located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Serra.

“Although this relatively faint galaxy has not been observed very often, it has the characteristic soubliquet of a spider galaxy,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“Perhaps the distorted galactic arms with glowing tips that form stars remind us of the clawed legs of arachnids.”

“Somewhat confusingly, there is another galaxy known as the Spiderweb galaxy that has a very similar nickname but is otherwise completely separate.”

“Despite the fact that this galaxy is about 300 times further away from Earth than the Spider Galaxy, it has been imaged more extensively.”

“Fortunately, the ability to accurately identify galaxies does not depend on chance names.”

“Rather, known galaxies are recorded in at least one catalog, such as the Uppsala Galaxy Catalog, and are often recorded in multiple catalogs. It has been given a name.”

“This same galaxy has been given several different names in various other catalogs,” they added.

“For example, LEDA 31923 in the Lyon-Meudon Extragalactic Database; MCG+06-24-006 in the Galactic Morphology Catalog; and SDSS J104242.78+342657.3 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Catalog.

“Spiderweb galaxies are not all recorded in the same catalog; each catalog is necessarily limited in scope. However, they are included in the LEDA catalog as LEDA 2826829.”

“It's clearly easier to avoid confusing the boring but unique names LEDA 31923 and LEDA 2826829 than the interesting but easily confused names Spider and Spiderweb.”

The new image of UGC 5829 consists of observations from. Hubble's advanced survey camera (ACS) and wide field camera 3 (WFC3) Found in the near-infrared and optical portions of the spectrum.

This is based on data obtained through four filters. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

Source: www.sci.news

Rediscovery of Fazilde’s trapdoor spider after 92 years in Portugal

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Fazilde’s trapdoor spider rediscovered in northern Portugal

Sergio Enriquez/Re:wild

The elusive trapped spider has been rediscovered in a small village in Portugal after 92 years of disappearance.

Fazilde’s Trapdoor Spider (Nemesia berlandi) was first described in 1931 after an entomologist discovered a pair of females just outside the small village of Fajilde in northern Portugal. According to two specimens collected at the time, the female has a dark brown body and is thought to be about 2.2 centimeters in length at most.

This species belongs to a family of trapdoor spiders called Arachnidae, whose members live in burrows with hinged doors to catch unsuspecting prey. Although males have not been observed, scientists believe they behave similarly to related spiders, performing rhythmic tap dances on female doorsteps to attract mates.

Since its discovery, Fazilde’s trapped spider appears to have disappeared, and the species was considered lost to science.

“We tend to miss them because they’re so cryptic. They have trapdoors that look exactly like the background they have in the area, including leaves and moss,” he says. Sergio Enriquez At the Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana.

In 2011, Enriquez and his colleagues discovered a series of horizontal burrows around Fazilde and suggested that: N. Berlandi It may be the only spider among spiders that does not grow vertically.

After a two-year expedition in the Fazilde forest area, the team finally discovered this reclusive spider for the first time in 92 years.

They stumble upon a horizontal burrow and find a deep brown female spider and her children. This female matched the first description of Fazilde’s trapdoor spider, described in 1931.

“This discovery was like winning the lottery while being struck by lightning,” Enriquez said.

To confirm that it really was N. BerlandiThe research team analyzed its DNA samples and found that it was different from other known trapdoor species.

Enriquez and his colleagues hope the rediscovery will spur efforts to protect the spider, which lives in areas of the country threatened by wildfires and flooding.

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Source: www.newscientist.com