Another collection of interesting articles that I came across in the last week, starting off with a cluster of spiders…
Photo by Francesco Tomasinelli (2009).
- We have all heard how spider silk is stronger than steel, but there is more to spider web strength than the breaking point of an individual strand…
- And more on spider silk strength with new research showing Evidence of the Most Stretchable Egg Sac Silk Stalk, of the European Spider of the Year Meta menardi. The spider and egg sack are pictured on the right.
- And isn’t it cool that the European Society of Arachnology actually declares a “Spider of the Year”? What a great way to publicise bug science!
Photo by Heiko Bellman
- Kurt aka Orion Mystery has a cool sequence of shots featuring part of the life cycle of a Viciria sp. jumping spider. Check it out teh spiderlings!
- Can we recreate the sound of an extinct insect? A new fossil find combined with the work of experts in bio-mechanics have given it a shot…
- A Taiwanese man, previously frustrated in his attempts to pursue art when a child, turns to dragonflies for consolation. He now runs a publishing company dedicated to books about nature in Taiwan, but still yearns to escape the pressures of his working life to dedicate himself to insect photography and observation. Can I relate to this?
- The other Alex…Alex HYDE in England is interviewed in this article: Why Patience is a Virtue: 3 Essentials for Shooting Macro Photography. Some great advice from an outstanding bug photographer.
Photo by Alex Hyde: Dead Leaf Mantis {Deroplatys dessicata} in threat display, Photographed on a white background. Captive, orginating from South East Asia.
Visit Alex Hyde’s website to explore more excellent nature photography.
Related articles
- European Cave Spiders Produce Super-Stretchy Silk (wired.com)
- The science of the golden spider-silk cape (newscientist.com)
