A pair (not really a pair, they were of two different species) spent a few months on the International Space Station. The article about them says “Two ‘spidernauts’ were studied to see how they adapted to microgravity – with surprising results,” but doesn’t bother to say what the surprise was.

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 29:at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on November 29, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Nefertiti, the Johnson jumping spider, has found a new home at the Insect Zoo in the Museum of Natural History, after a 100 day voyage in space as a resident aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

I think the surprise was that there was no surprise — they adapted to microgravity easily, which is what I’d expect. These are two animals who go through life constantly tethering themselves to their environment with a silken dragline. Of course they were able to cope with a space environment. They orient themselves with tactile senses, and were probably just surprised at how much easier and more effective their jumping was.

Sadly, they did not last long on return.

The mission set a record for longest time spent in space by a spider (100 days). While Cleopatra died on returning to Earth, Nefertiti would also become the first spider to survive the voyage home, and successfully readjusted to gravity.

After her marathon mission, she was destined for a long, cosy retirement. She was put on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, where she was placed in a custom enclosure and died four days later.

Again, this is not surprising. Jumping spiders are not long-lived species even when not launched up into orbit on a rocket.

However, I do not appreciate hearing about death shortly after retirement, with my own retirement only a year away.

Probably not what you think it means. To me, it means cold, a terrible chill in my lab that makes it uncomfortable to work there, just as I’m getting the freedom to work there. Every summer, when the physical plant starts working to cool the building, they seem to start with refrigerating my lab space. The whole building is out of balance, so while my lab is sitting at a chilly 15°C, the lab right next to mine is a feverish 27°C. It has been driving me mad for years, and nothing ever gets done to fix it.

It’s not good for the spiders, these Southern belles that were collected in Florida and dragged up to Minnesota.

They’ve all got heating pads under their cages, but there’s a steep gradient from the floor of the cage to the top, so no wonder they’re all huddled as low as they can get all the time. The babies are in incubators, so they don’t care, yet…but once they get to a size that demands more space, I have to move them out into the main lab.

It’s not good for me, either. I have to wear my winter coat every day to keep warm at the microscope and computer. I have to yell at the administration, but maybe you’ve noticed that I’m rather soft-voiced and apparently totally ineffectual.

My plan for this week, as my teaching responsibilities diminish, is to pack up all the adult spiders and bring them home. Don’t worry, I’ve already cleared it with Mary.

Maybe I should pack up all the microscopes and computers and bring them home, too. The university isn’t making the effort to create a livable working environment, so they can’t complain if I abscond with all the gear and instruments, right?

Wouldn’t want you to think I’d forgotten.

Attulus fasciger

Yesterday, I posted a photo of Theridion on a signpost, and unclefrogy asked:

the question I have is what kind of prey is also attracted to that area and what time of the day because that spider sure looks well fed.

A good question! Theridion is a cobweb spider, and cobwebs are optimized for catching prey on the ground, unlike orb webs which are better for catching flying prey. These particular spiders are on a metal post 1.5 meters off the ground, so they’re unlikely to catch grounded prey. But I was passing by this same signpost today, and saw that the spider had been successful!

That’s a dead dessicated Dipteran by my finger (I had to poke my finger in to stabilize the victim — it’s windy today, and everything on silk was vibrating madly). So…they’re catching gnats and flies and mosquitos that encounter the tangle of cobweb silk.

Also, don’t insult the spider. The Theridiidae all have those nearly spherical abdomens, so she is a beauty among her species.

For years, one of the earliest signs of the spider season is the appearance of spider silk criss-crossing these metal signposts around campus. I rarely see any of the animals making the silk — they tend to hide in the holes that puncture the posts. But today I spotted one hanging out in a visible place! They are spiders in the subfamily Theridiinae, probably in the genus Theridion. I do not know why they favor this one peculiar habitat. These black metal posts get really hot in the sun, so these spiders must like it hot.

They have quite pretty patterns on their abdomens.

These jumping spiders are ravenous, and are ripping through the local population of Diptera.

I can relate to this National Park Service message.

Our favorite part of spring is walking into spider webs and screaming every time. What’s yours?

I wish. I haven’t seen any webs yet, although I have spotted some individual strands of silk. Warm weather is coming, though!

Chased this one down in the shrubbery.

Zebra jumper on our window screen, with dinner.