Joro spiders well poised to populate cities

The Jorō (Joro) spider was first spotted stateside around 2013 and has since been spotted across Georgia and the Southeast. New research from the University of Georgia has found more clues as to why the spider has been so successful in its spread. The study found the invasive orb-weaving spider is surprisingly tolerant of the vibrations and noise common in urban landscapes.

Uncovering Camel Spiders’ Hidden Evolutionary Secrets with a Modern Genetic Tree

In a new study led by the laboratories of Prof. Prashant Sharma of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. Efrat Gavish-Regev of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a team of researchers has uncovering the mysteries surrounding camel spiders (Solifugae), by successfully establishing the first-ever comprehensive molecular tree (phylogeny) of this enigmatic arachnid order.

New study shows spiders use webs to extend their hearing

A newly published study of orb-weaving spiders — has yielded some extraordinary results: The spiders are using their webs as extended auditory arrays to capture sounds, possibly giving spiders advanced warning of incoming prey or predators.

Hiking Safety for Kids: Expert Tips

As you’re enjoying the early fall weather and outdoor adventures, like hiking, don’t forget to make safety a priority to help keep illness and injuries from spoiling family fun time. Jeffrey M. Bender, MD, attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and former ranger in the Sierra Mountains, points out tips on how to prevent bug bites, proper animal interaction and empowering kids to explore the outdoors in a safe and smart way.

Spiders’ Web Secrets Unraveled

Johns Hopkins University researchers discovered precisely how spiders build webs by using night vision and artificial intelligence to track and record every movement of all eight legs as spiders worked in the dark.

Their creation of a web-building playbook or algorithm brings new understanding of how creatures with brains a fraction of the size of a human’s are able to create structures of such elegance, complexity and geometric precision. The findings, now available online, are set to publish in the November issue of Current Biology.

Spider Silk Can Create Lenses Useful for Biological Imaging

Spider silk is useful for a variety of biomedical applications: It exhibits mechanical properties superior to synthetic fibers for tissue engineering, and it is not toxic or harmful to living cells. One unexpected application for spider silk is its use in the creation of biocompatible lenses for biological imaging applications. Researchers describe the feasibility of creating lenses capitalizing on the properties of natural spider silk material in the Journal of Applied Physics.