All posts in “arachnids”

Freaky little bug?

Freaky Creepy bugs, what nightmares are made of:

Freaky is the word. Tailless Whip Scorpion They are nocturnal arachnids found here in Arizona. Most people who do see them are generally freaked out because they look so strange. They look like a flattened spider. They commonly use their long, delicate, whip-like, antenniform front legs as sensory organs to search for prey in the dark. I have seen some with large grasping hook like legs while other appeared to just have grasping legs without the spines. They don’t have stingers and technically they really aren’t spiders but they are in the same Class Arachnida. They have no venom. They do look rather odd but they eat cockroaches and other small insects. Have you seen any at your home?

freaky NCM_0284_resized

Freaky Thanks to Andon for the photo

OK wouldn’t this scare the #%*^@ out of you?

 

Family finds hundreds of potentially deadly spiders in pack of bananas.”

The arachnids may have been Brazilian wandering spiders, which have venom deadly enough to kill humans, but this has not yet been confirmed.

You know where I stand on spiders, but this would freak me out. This story was from Hednesford, England. I always check bananas when I buy them, but it just goes to show you – check your fruit and vegetables before taking them home.

32_Brown Recluse Spider

Photo provided by PPMA

Here in Arizona we have a relative to the Brown Recluse spider –  Arizona Brown spider. Take care their bite is dangerous, may kill living flesh and cause other debilitating illness.

If I saw this at my house, I may have to move – how about you?

probestIMG950166

Spiders are not on my good list, big or small. I have always been terrified of these pests, especially one as large as this one. Big enough to carry a child away, OK I’m exaggerating a bit, right? Things to do to keep these monsters out of your home:

  1. Tight, really tight doors and screens.
  2. Home-seal your home.
  3. Install garage door seals.
  4. Use monitoring glue boards to see what is getting into the garage.
  5. Don’t bring in boxes from attic or outside without checking them.
  6. Always use gloves when moving anything from outside.

 

 

 

Now what do you do?

spider

 

This reminded me of the many things we do and don’t always finish as human beings. We start a project and it goes on forever, you attempt to kill that spider and he falls and you can’t find him. Yuuuuuck, right! The nice thing about this is that I don’t believe spiders or insects in general can remember stuff like this.

Tom Turpin Professor of Entomology at Purdue University has written the following:

“Sensory memory applies to all kinds of animals. But do seemingly mindless creatures such as insects have memories? Scientists say “yes.” Certainly, insects learn. Insects such as butterflies learn the shape of preferred host plant leaves. Honey bees can learn the visual landmarks between the hive and a patch of flowers. Grasshoppers learn to avoid plants that upset their stomachs.”

They grow them big in New Mexico!

They grow them big in New Mexico!

 

    

As the name suggests, these spiders are hunters. They are big and hairy which generally creeps out most people. The female will lay an egg sac, which she will bite open and allow the spiderlings to crawl on her back. They will stay there for a little over a week and then gradually move on to do there own hunting. They typically hunt at night and may enter homes while searching for food.

Check out an article on “Taking Care of Business” by owner of ProBest Pest Management from FMC Pestwire http://www.fmcpestwire.com/

Eyeless spider discovered in Laos

Eyeless spider discovered in Laos

 

Honestly all I can say is better it’s in Laos than my back yard, Creepy Eyeless Spider Discovered in Cave. Spiders are just one of those bugs that most people either hate or dislike so I can understand all the phobia’s out there on this bug.

Scientists figure that there are still 5 million species still waiting to be discovered.Read this “Undiscovered Species – How many are left to find?” I think there is one out there that should have my name on it, what say you?

 
Category Species Totals
Vertebrate Animals
Reptiles 1,300
Amphibians 8,500
Fishes 8,000
Total Vertebrates 17,800
Invertebrate Animals
Insects 4,000,000
Arachnids 500,000
Molluscs 115,000
Crustaceans 103,000
Echinoderms 7,000
Others 700,000
Total Invertebrates 5,425,000
Plants
Flowering plants (angiosperms) 71,000
Ferns and horsetails 15,000
Mosses & Liverworts 6,500
Total Plants 80,500
TOTAL SPECIES 5,523,300

Dr. Bug plays — Name and Identify that Bug!

Dr. Bug here, do you have a bug you need to identify or just want them gone.  Well we know by looking at this thing that it is a spider, but what kind? My best guess is that is a House Spider of some kind.               Do you have any clue what type spider it might be? My goal is that you send me your photo’s and or bugs and we will post a picture to share with our readers. You never know maybe you can stump Dr. Bug at his own game.

Send your pictures to [email protected] (just put in subject line – Identify this Bug) or you can send them to 425 W. Guadalupe Road #110, Gilbert, AZ 85233 (just try not to smoosh them to much).

University of Arizona Insect Collection

University of Arizona Insect Collection

Established in the 1940’s as a small collection dealing with agricultural pests, it has grown to one of the largest and most comprehensive research collection of arthropods in the southwestern United States.

Great resource site for checking out those pests that hang out in the Southwest and yes we are talking about insects…

Contact Us