My favourite NZ observation on #iNaturalist from the last couple of days is this stable fly photographed at Waihi by helenmacky.
It's a handsome enough fly, and it's a good photo, but what makes it stand out is the gang of at least seven pseudoscorpions all hitching a ride on it.
This Synema globosum is sometimes called the Napoleon spider, because of a supposed resemblance of the markings on the abdomen (not visible here) to a silhouette of Napoleon wearing his iconic hat.
It is here on a Caryophyllaceae flower, commonly called the pink family or carnation family.
Oh my! My bathroom spider just killed a fly in front of my very eyes! The fly had been annoying me for several days, but I’m still glad to see it went pretty quickly.
Welp, does anyone have any recommendations on how to catch a small wolf spider who has recently taken up residence in my bathroom? Normally I let spiders live inside and help out, but I don’t want a temporarily painful and itchy bite (or for Randi the dog or anyone else to get one) and a wolf spider will be ultimately be happier outside anyway.
My preference is catch and release but I have (mostly) accepted that I may need to injure it. Since it is a wolf spider of unknown sex, I cannot just kill it or I risk it dropping an egg sac and/or hundreds of babies.
Additionally, it seems to be on high alert. It is not hiding when I come around like sources tell me it should, instead it watches me. This may be because I corralled it into a cardboard tube to move it out of the tub yesterday pre-bath when I did not yet know what kind of spider it was. (If only I had moved it outside then!!) It has at least moved from yesterday’s post which was terrifyingly next to the toilet and today is standing guard on the wall near the doorway. It switches to pounce position when I walk by but has so far left me alone.
Our collective arachnid aversion could be causing us to overlook something even scarier: Spiders may be disappearing.
By Betsy Mason 10.25.2023
"In fact, all over the world, all sorts of spiders seem to be disappearing, says conservation biologist Pedro Cardoso of the University of Lisbon. He and a colleague polled a hundred spider experts and enthusiasts globally about the threats facing the animals. 'It’s more or less unanimous that something is happening,' he says.
"The case for why people should care about spiders is robust. First, the vast majority of spiders do not bite or harm people, despite rampant misinformation in the media that would have you believe most spiders are out to get you. In reality, a vanishingly small number of spiders are dangerous to humans. Instead, they prey on insects — including mosquitoes, cockroaches and aphids — that actually do cause harm to people in their homes, gardens and fields. Spiders are excellent natural pest controls, but they are often killed by pesticides aimed at those same insect pests. These #ToxicChemicals also harm people.
"Spiders are important food sources for birds, fish, lizards and small mammals. And there are untapped benefits we humans could enjoy someday — if spiders don’t disappear first — such as potential pharmaceutical and pest control applications derived from compounds in their venom, and medical and engineering applications based on their incredibly strong silk."
This Synema globosum is sometimes called the Napoleon spider, because of a supposed resemblance of the markings on the abdomen (not visible here) to a silhouette of Napoleon wearing his iconic hat.
For #Arachtober - this stunning 'ground' sac #spider (cf. Gnaphosidae Genus indet sp. indet) found on the trunk of a toddy palm, at #powai, #mumbai (13th. AUG 2023 17:21 hrs.)
The Mumbai region is home to several #species many of which still remain undiscovered, and are likely new to #science.
OC Spider