Tag Archives: Spiders

Small and successful

Long-jawed orb weavers: Pachygnatha degeeri The name “orb weaver” has a poetic ring to it and the craftsmanship surrounding the design of an orb web is certainly deserving of such a title. The long-jawed orb weavers are known as the … Continue reading

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Wolves in the leaf litter

Wolf Spiders: Trochosa terricola Although they do not hunt in packs like wolves, the spiders of the family Lycosidae are very much nocturnal predators. These wolves, unlike their counterparts, are readily found in the UK and within the genus Trochosa … Continue reading

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Spiders in mythology and medicine

Spiders have been incorporated into native lore and medicine the world over and in many tropical countries the larger species are seen as an important foodstuff. Last summer I was fortunate enough to spend a month in the Yucatan peninsula … Continue reading

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The bite-or-flight response

Spiders are not everyone’s brownie in a mug, more often they are deemed hairy, scary and relegated to a life beneath a glass on your bathroom floor. The media are not particularly supportive of these fascinating animals either. Cases of … Continue reading

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Walk like a spider, sting like a bee

The Woodlouse Spider: Dysdera crocata With a carapace of lustrous crimson and an abdomen of subtle cream I think this is one of the most striking spiders in the UK.

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Spiders and the tree of life

Chelicerata is a highly diverse phylum and you only need to look at the superficial differences between ticks and scorpions to see there is a great range in body morphologies and sizes. The class Arachnida, to which spiders belong, contains … Continue reading

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An introduction to the evolution of spiders

To fully appreciate the lives of spiders, which at first appear so far detached from our own, it is worth noting their fascinating evolutionary history. Did you know for example that, unlike insects, you can find spiders in the sea? … Continue reading

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