It’s a travel day. I’m getting ready to go to St Louis for Skepticon, which means the usual process — packing, making sure I’ve got the materials for my workshop, feeding the spiders. You’ve all been through it.
I thought this would be a weekend without spiders, but then I realized…they’re everywhere. I’m bringing my camera, some collecting vials, and a headlamp in my gear, and am thinking I might go looking for some Missouri Parasteatoda to bring back to the lab. Any other Skepticon attendees interested in a Spider Safari sometime?
I did have to get in a last minute spider fix, though. I think this uncooperative little lady (she’s young and a bit shy) is Neoscona, but I’ll be returning her back to the garden before I leave.
This handsome gentleman is Steatoda borealis. I’ve been seeing a lot of these lately — they seem to be thriving in slightly harsher environments than Parasteatoda. I like them a lot, and am going to try raising them in the lab, even though Parasteatoda is a more popular model organism.
He’s not being set free. I’m taking him to the lab this morning, where his fate is to provide stud service.
I have some trepidation at the thought of possible troubles you may have with TSA if they find that you’re Flying With Spiders.
Forget TSA. Make sure Samuel L. Jackson isn’t on the flight.
Did a lot of communing with spiders today in the garden–big ass spiders, jumping spiders and some very pretty and delicate.
Just moving into the season where the orb weavers start taking up permanent residence along our garden paths. Last year, there was one I got to know well enough, I named her.
Does this stud service include being eaten?
Regarding males who volunteer getting eaten, I could not resist forwarding this link from across the Atlantic. It is not only the Democrats who fuck up being in opposition.
“Has the Labour Leadership Gone Mad?” https://bit.ly/2yPL7Il
…And please try this on the spiders http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/fish
Goddammit PZ, I just realised you are to animal species what this XKCD episode is to movies https://xkcd.com/2184/