In the lycosoid spiders, the secondary eyes possess a grate-shaped tapetum lucidum that reflects light, causing eyeshine when these spiders are viewed with approximately coaxial illumination. This guanine-based reflective surface is thought to increase visual capabilities in low light. We explored the eyeshine of the posterior medial eye in eight taxa of pisaurid and lycosid spiders. The taxa i...

N Engl J Med 2005;352:700-7. Copyright © 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society. utaneous injury caused by spider venom has been recognized by physicians in the United States only since the late 1950s, with recluse spiders (genus loxosceles) most frequently implicated. During the past five decades, the growing popular belief that spiders cause many cases of skin necrosis in the United States has re...

According to Platnick (2011), the order Araneae possesses 110 families, 3,849 genera, and 42,473 species. It is divided into two suborders: Mesothelae, consisting of only one family (Liphistiidae), and Opisthothelae. The latter suborder is divided into two infra-orders: Mygalomorphae, consisting of spiders with paraxial chelicerae, and Araneomorphae, consisting of spiders with diaxial chelicera...

three threidiid spiders of the genus latrodectus occur in khorasan province: l.tredecimguttatus, l.pallidus, l.dahli. the three are described, their diagnostic features are illustrated, and taxonomic notes are given where possible. spider bites are very common in these regions, so, further notes about the medical importance of these species are given. a dichotomic key to the species of the genu...

Nematode parasites of spiders and harvestmen are restricted to members of the family Mermithidae . A literature review shows that nematode parasitism of arachnids is worldwide and at least 5 1 species of spiders and harvestmen have been recorded as hosts of mermithid nematodes . Infected spiders have varied habits and it is postulated that two types of parasite life cycles probably exist and th...

Spiders of the family Theraphosidae occur throughout most tropical regions of the world. There have only been three case reports of bites by these spiders in Australia. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical effects of bites by Australian theraphosid spiders in both humans and canines. Cases of spider bite were collected by the authors over the period January 1978-April 2002, either...

When asking spider-phobic individuals what they find most frightening about spiders, many report spiders’ unique movement characteristics. Here, we experimentally tested whether spider-specific movements are indeed a major cue in triggering spider fear. One-hundred-and-twenty participants (55 spider-fearful) viewed realistic 3D-animated videos of spiders and ladybugs moving on different paths w...

Argyroneta aquatica is a unique air-breathing spider that lives virtually its entire life under freshwater. It creates a dome-shaped web between aquatic plants and fills the diving bell with air carried from the surface. The bell can take up dissolved O(2) from the water, acting as a 'physical gill'. By measuring bell volume and O(2) partial pressure (P(O(2))) with tiny O(2)-sensitive optodes, ...

Arboreal spiders in deciduous and coniferous trees were investigated on their distribution and diversity. Insecticidal knock-down was used to comprehensively sample spiders from 175 trees from 2001 to 2003 in the Białowieża forest and three remote forests in Poland. We identified 140 species from 9273 adult spiders. Spider communities were distinguished between deciduous and coniferous trees. T...