http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/spiders/ Spiders, scorpions and ticks in the news. Learn why a spider hanging from a thread does not rotate, how spiders find a mate and how ticks carry Lyme Disease. Read about spider silk and spider webs. en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:05:01 EDT Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/spiders/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080629080038.htm A naturally-occurring compound prepared from pine oil that seems to deter mosquito biting and repels two kinds of ticks has been developed. This newly-discovered repellent can be prepared inexpensively from pine oil feedstock in ton quantities for large-scale commercial applications, giving it a significant advantage over many of the other natural-product repellent chemicals. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080629080038.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080629142805.htm The bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, originated in America, or so researchers thought. Now, however, scientists has shown that this bug in fact came from Europe, originating from before the Ice Age. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080629142805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080531074913.htm Spider silks are incredibly stretchy, but are they stretchy like elastic or springs? The answer lies in their amino acid content. Spider silks are made from proteins, and biologists have just discovered that the secret lies in the silk protein's amino acid content. Spider silks with high proline contents behave like elastic rubber bands, while spider silks with low proline content behave like stretchy springs. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080531074913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080528124714.htm Sick female deer mice devote their energy to producing healthier offspring. Deer mice offspring of infected mothers were bigger, meaning they are more likely to survive and reproduce. This finding was unexpected because most mammals tend to focus on their own survival when they are threatened with sickness or infection. Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080528124714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516094431.htm Preliminary findings in one of the first landscape-scale experiments on how forest management affects western Ponderosa pine ecosystems have been completed. The results suggests that in the absence of treatments like thinning and controlled burns, old-growth characteristics will be lost as a result of lower growth rates and higher tree mortality. The scientists reached this conclusion by evaluating decades of growth data obtained on the experimental forest. Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516094431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508181914.htm A biologist has brought his admiration of Neil Young to a whole new class. Or species, to be exact. A professor of biology has named a newly discovered trapdoor spider, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, after the legendary rock star. Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508181914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125508.htm Scientists have found the first evidence of an animal using ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to communicate with other members of its species. In a series of mate choice experiments with the Chinese jumping spider (Phintella vittata), the researchers found that female spiders would rather mate with males that reflect UVB than those that do not. Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417175221.htm Songbirds feeding near the contaminated South River are showing high levels of mercury, even though they aren't eating food from the river itself, according to a new article in Science. Mercury is one of the world's most troublesome pollutants, especially in water. "The birds eat a lot of spiders... The spiders have a lot of mercury in them and are delivering the mercury to these songbirds," one of the researchers said. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417175221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401095233.htm The bacteria that cause Lyme disease can linger in mouse tissues long after a full round of antibiotic treatment is completed. The scientists caution that the discovery does not suggest the presence of chronic disease, nor does it support extended use of antibiotics to treat Lyme disease in humans. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401095233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325203450.htm Consider the possible effects of the peculiar lifestyle of numerous spider species, which live, feed, breed and "walk" in an upside-down hanging position. According to new research, such "unconventional" enterprise drives a shape in spiders that confers high energy efficiency, as in oscillatory pendulums. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325203450.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320132646.htm Researchers have unlocked new evidence that could help them get to the bottom of our most common phobias and their causes. Hundreds of thousands of people count snakes and spiders among their fears, and while scientists have previously assumed we possess an evolutionary predisposition to fear the unpopular animals, new research seem to indicate otherwise. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320132646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319193029.htm Lyme disease is the blight of countryside users but it may be prevented with a single injection, according to research in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. Researchers found that a new formulation that is programmed to release the anti-Lyme disease drug over a 20 day period was 100% effective. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319193029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221100539.htm Biological and medical research is on the threshold of a new era based on better understanding of how large organic molecules bind together and recognize each other. There is great potential for exploiting the molecular docking processes that are commonplace in all organisms to develop new drugs that act more specifically without adverse side effects, and construct novel materials by mimicking nature. One application close to fruition is the engineering of bacteria to produce silks as strong for their thickness as spider webs. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221100539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217224459.htm The HIV-1 virus cripples the human immune system by targeting white blood cells called T cells that form the body's first line of defense in fighting infections. A recent study shows that a protein found in the saliva of deer ticks prevents the HIV-1 virus from attaching to the surface of T cells, which is the critical first step in the virus' attack strategy. Since the protein suppresses the action of T cells, it may also prove to be an effective treatment for autoimmune diseases like asthma and multiple sclerosis caused by an overactive immune system that mounts an attack against the body's own cells and tissues, and it could be useful to suppress the immune system to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217224459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213140826.htm Researchers have demonstrated that a bacterial toxin from the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus shuts down the control mechanism of the tunnel, called an ion channel, in immune cell membranes. Shutting down ion channels has long been known to suppress the immune response, and the bacteria may use the toxin to neutralize host defenses against bacteria. This research has implications for finding new ways to fight MRSA. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213140826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144403.htm Predators have considerably more influence than plants over how an ecosystem functions, according to a Yale study in Science. Ecosystem ecologists have long held that plants and their interaction with the soil determine the type and abundance of herbivores and carnivores in an ecosystem. The new research shows that the opposite is true. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214144403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214114448.htm Researchers in civil and environmental engineering reveal that the strength of a biological material like spider silk lies in the geometric configuration of structural proteins, and the small clusters of weak hydrogen bonds that work cooperatively to resist force and dissipate energy. This structure makes protein-based materials as strong as steel, even though the hydrogen bonds that hold them together are 100 to 1,000 times weaker than the metallic bonds in steel. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214114448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207124624.htm Madagascar's turtles and tortoises, which rank among the most endangered reptiles on earth, will continue to crawl steadily toward extinction unless major conservation measure are enacted, according to a recent assessment. The researchers said there is still hope to save these ancient animals, but time is running out as their habitat continues to shrink and illegal hunting worsens. Five of the nine assessed species have been downgraded to critically endangered, with one variety -- the ploughshare tortoise -- now numbering only a few hundred individuals. The other critically endangered species include the radiated tortoise, flat-tailed tortoise, spider tortoise and Madagascar big-headed turtle, all of which are found nowhere else on earth. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207124624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204111819.htm When disease and insect problems in crops are visible to the naked eye, it may be too late to treat. That's why it is worth taking a closer look. A hyperspectral look, that is. Scientists are now using a hyperspectral camera to determine how light is being reflected off plant leaf surfaces as a diagnostic tool. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204111819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205171749.htm Did modern birds originate around the time of the dinosaurs' demise, or have they been around far longer? The question is at the center of a sometimes contentious "rocks versus clocks" debate between paleontologists, whose estimates are based on the fossil record, and scientists who use "molecular clock" methods to study evolutionary history. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205171749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206110818.htm Scientists exploring one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical forest in Western Africa discovered significant populations of new, rare and threatened species underscoring the area's high biological diversity and value. The discoveries include a critically endangered frog species, an unusually high 22 species of large mammals and six species of primates including two species of global conservation concern. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206110818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129183745.htm Biologist in the tick-infested woods of the Hudson Valley are challenging the widely held belief that mice are the main animal reservoir for Lyme disease in the US. Chipmunks and two shrew species, not just mice, are the four species that account for major outbreaks. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129183745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126092140.htm Moths and butterflies, particularly silkworms, are well known producers of silk. And we all know spiders use it for their webs. But they are not the only invertebrates who make use of the strength and versatility of silk. Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126092140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071121144937.htm Web-making spiders employ a host of silk glands to synthesize a variety of silk filaments with different mechanical properties. Although it is widely believed that the aciniform glands are one such silk factory, there has been no hard evidence linking aciniform-derived proteins and silk -- until now. Researchers have now found that the aciniform gland in the black widow spider manufactures and extrudes a previously unidentified protein that is a component of multiple types of silk. Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071121144937.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029083230.htm A 50-million-year-old fossilized spider has been 'brought back to life' in stunning 3D. The male spider is a new species named Cenotextricella simoni. It was found preserved in amber in an area of France known as the Paris Basin. Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029083230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071017131811.htm Researchers have discovered a new primitive crab species Cycloprosopon dobrogea in eastern Romania. Previously unexamined, these ancient crabs from the Prosopidae family existed more than 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071017131811.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071006083356.htm Before venturing into tick-infested territory, you used a topical repellent on exposed skin and outer clothing. When you returned, you did a body check and threw your clothes in the wash. But clean clothes may not be tick-free clothes. Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071006083356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070920111553.htm Researchers have discovered that even the gruesome and brutal lifestyle of the Evarcha culicivora, a blood gorging jumping spider indigenous to East Africa, can't help but be tempted by that "big is beautiful" mantra no matter what the costs. Researchers found that despite the inherent risk of sexual cannibalism, virgin females were attracted to bigger males when losing their virginity before opting for the safer smaller male as a longer term mate choice. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070920111553.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912145919.htm A massive spider web first spotted covering several acres of oak-elm woodlands along a Lake Tawakoni State Park trail in early August made national and international headlines throughout the Labor Day Weekend. Stumped as to the web's origin, the initial consensus of arachnologists and entomologists who saw an online photo of the web sent by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Mike Quinn was that it may have resulted from a "mass dispersal" event. In such an event, millions of tiny spiders or spiderlings spin out silk filaments to ride air currents in a phenomenon known as "ballooning." Thu, 13 Sep 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912145919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824220328.htm Recent research has revealed that by feeding spiders to their chicks, birds can manipulate the personality and learning ability of their young. Researchers reveal that birds preferentially feed their young spiders containing taurine. Chicks fed taurine were on average much bolder and better at learning in adulthood, according to the researchers. Taurine is an amino acid which is also found in breast milk and energy drinks. The beneficial qualities of taurine include aiding the development of premature babies and reducing blood pressure in human adults, but it has not previously been known how taurine influences the development of birds. Wed, 29 Aug 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824220328.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821092943.htm Researchers have found that, for crested auklets, chemistry has both amorous and practical applications. The birds rub a citrus-like scent, secreted in wick-like feathers on their backs, on each other during courtship, a behavior called alloanointing. Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821092943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817210729.htm Global warming is impacting more than the water levels in the Great Lakes. It could be the beginning of the end for the moose and wolves of Isle Royale. And if it is, a Michigan Technological University scientist places the blame squarely on the human race. "Humans have made summers increasingly hot, which likely exacerbates moose ticks," says John Vucetich, a population biologist in Michigan Tech's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. "Both the heat and the ticks are detrimental to moose. If wolves go extinct for a lack of moose, humans will be to blame." Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817210729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070716191846.htm A defense molecule isolated in ticks infected with the Babesia sp. parasite may protect animals and humans against infection. Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070716191846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070712135334.htm Borrelia burgdorferi seem to be particularly successful at infecting Bernese Mountain Dogs, according to recent research. Swiss researchers found that more than half of the dogs they tested were infected with the spiral-shaped bacteria, which are passed on by ticks and can also cause Lyme disease in humans. Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070712135334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703172515.htm People who have high cholesterol levels may be much more susceptible to a particular disease transmitted by the bites of ticks, a new study in mice suggests. Scientists infected mice with the bacterium that causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, a disease with flu-like symptoms. Bacteria levels were 10 times greater in mice that were genetically predisposed to high cholesterol levels and that were also fed a high-cholesterol diet. Mon, 09 Jul 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703172515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628061656.htm Reported cases of Lyme disease have more than doubled since 1991, when Lyme became a nationally notifiable disease, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report also said 93 percent of reported cases were concentrated in 10 states. Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628061656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070613071233.htm Biologists have identified the genes, and determined the DNA sequences, for two key proteins in the "dragline silk" of the black widow spider -- an advance that may lead to a variety of new materials for industrial, medical and military uses. Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070613071233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070530123749.htm An intriguing study of mule deer and whitetail deer showed that both species responded to the recorded distress calls of fawns, similar to the responses elicited when coyotes attack fawns, with mule deer mothers responding to both whitetail and mule deer calls, even when their own fawn stood next to them. Thu, 31 May 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070530123749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510083028.htm A dangerous spider is making itself known to Louisiana residents. The brown widow spider is becoming more common in the state of Louisiana, according to entomologists. Sun, 13 May 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510083028.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510002708.htm A granddad's wisdom, already helpful in the fight against mosquitoes, may also prove useful in battling disease-spreading ticks. Thu, 10 May 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510002708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070502143649.htm Bacteria that may provide ticks with essential nutrients they can't get from their meals of blood could be a key to controlling ticks and the diseases they carry, such as Lyme Disease. Tue, 08 May 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070502143649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070427092016.htm Sex makes you fat. If you're a female tick, that is. The "truly gluttonous" female ixodid tick increases her weight an astounding 100 times her original size after she mates, so scientists investigated what it is about copulation that triggers such a massive weight gain. Sun, 29 Apr 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070427092016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070409115817.htm Scientists have received a US Patent for developing chimeric, or "combination," proteins that may advance the development of vaccines and diagnostic tests for Lyme disease. Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070409115817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405094039.htm Spider silk would be an ideal material for a large variety of medical and technical applications, and researchers are thus interested in learning the spiders' secrets and imitating their technique. Scientists report that the interaction between hydrophilic and lipophilic properties of the silk proteins plays an important role in the spinning process. Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070405094039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070403112553.htm Scientists show that many insect groups like beetles and butterflies have fantastic numbers of species because these groups are so old. In contrast, less diverse groups, like mammals and birds, are evolutionarily younger. This is a surprisingly simple answer to a fundamental biological puzzle. Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070403112553.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070312152201.htm Whip spiders, considered by many to be creepy-crawly, are giving new meaning to the term touchy-feely. In two species of whip spiders, or amblypygids, mothers caress their young with long feelers, siblings stick together until they reach sexual maturity, and all mix in social groups. This is surprising behavior for these arachnids long-thought to be purely aggressive and anti-social, according to a Cornell researcher. Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070312152201.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070310153004.htm A plague of ticks, stifling hot summers and relentless pressure from wolves have driven the moose population on Isle Royale National Park to its lowest ebb in at least 50 years. Their numbers have sunk from last year's record low of 450 down to 385, the lowest since researchers began tracking their numbers on this wilderness Lake Superior archipelago. Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070310153004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305102410.htm The fact that female wasp spiders have numerous sexual contacts is something which their male partners cannot prevent. What they can do, however, is ensure that no offspring ensue from these liaisons with their rivals: the male spiders simply place a chastity belt on their partner while copulating. The tip of their genital breaks off during intercourse, blocking the sexual orifice of the female spider. Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305102410.htm