I said I’d stop flashing spider photos at you all, so really, it’s safe to come back here if you’re arachnophobic. I still occasionally indulge on the Patreon site, and I just added a few this morning (I’ll put them on Instagram shortly). My model was the lovely Danu, a Parasteatoda tepidariorum I caught at Skepticon in Missouri last August. My lighting setup was far short of ideal, though, so I’m going to have to work on that.
Yes, I still have those St Louis spiders in my lab, they’re doing fine, but in the absence of St Louis males, are not producing babies for me. I guess I’ll just have to go to Skepticon again this year and find some mates for them. Maybe if you go to Skepticon, I can draft you to help!
Skepticon is held in musty basements festooned with cobwebs and inhabited by arachnids?
Yes. It’s part of the charm.
I heard this song today and thought of you:
https://youtu.be/eFeDzVwGbZg
I can get you all the Missouri (St. Louis Area) spiders you want. I even have some granddaughters who will assist. I can even get some Loxosceles reclusa.
Oh, yeah, that would endear me to my colleagues.
Loxosceles reclusa
Oh great, something else that climate change (or PZ?) is likely bringing us. There already have been kudzu sightings in the province.
ACK! Where? I want to go rip it out with my bare hands!