I am pleased to bring you the third edition of Expiscor – a weekly digest of discoveries and curiosities, from Arachnids, to natural history and beyond.  You can view previous postings here and here.

• I’ve been editing work from two of my Master’s students who will soon be graduating – both on Arctic spiders – here are a couple of great quotes from their work, about spiders: “There are a recognized 43,244 species and sub-species of spider worldwide,  46% of which are described based on only one sex” and “18% of total linyphiid species in the world found north of 60°”  WOW – clearly much work is needed in Arachnology, and we ought to work in the North for some families.

• More on spiders: this work is from a while back, but Sarah Loboda forwarded it to me – the wing patterns found on hairstreak butterflies are effective against jumping spider predation – perhaps bird predators did not drive evolution of these traits!

• Spiders & Ants.  Nice animals!  Maybe some spiders are …. myrmecophilous? Have a peek at this post and see if you are convinced. 

• Arachnids are so much more than spiders – last night Spider Joe posted some amazing photos of a Solifugid (aka wind scorpions, Camel spiders, sun spiders…), and allowed me to share one with you, here.  (more can be viewed here).  These are really lovely creatures – on my bucket list is to see one of these alive.

A Solifugid – this stunning image is courtesy of Joe Lapp (“spider joe”), reproduced here with permission.

• Earlier this week I posted about insects and spiders being collected by airplanes – and Daniel Gruner forwarded me a series of papers about amazing different ways to collect insects, including trapping air-borne insects on ships in the Pacific! (thanks, Daniel!)

• The 17 year itch: Entomologists are well aware of the BIG YEAR ahead for Cicadas… but perhaps it’s not well known beyond entomological circles?  It should be – even Wired wrote about it.

• In other Entomology news, hey Canada, CBC reports the Asian Longhorned Beetle has been eradicated! (I’m a bit skeptical…)

• Inspired by beautiful images – how about nests and eggs of birds of Ohio.  This book is truly amazing – thanks Dr. Dez for that link.

• In addition to getting exercise, going outside can be scientifically valuable – a schoolboy in Oxford found a 300 million year old fossil.

• On the topic of getting outdoors, is Nature Deficit Disorder a real thing? (thanks to CrazzyGenes for that link)

• I’m becoming a big fan of Small Pond Science, in part because of Terry’s post about E.O. Wilson’s natural history paper on ants (as one follow-up to the Wilson versus Math uproar!), and then yesterday he posted a lovely, short commentary on keeping perspective, – featuring David Foster Wallace. A+

• Climate Change: it’s real.  It’s pervasive.  Not convinced?  Have a look at this – it’ll take you 26 seconds.

• On a lighter note, do you like BRAINS?  Visit the Brain Museum….

• And to finish, watch this if you need a laugh.  (Not for everybody, but this goofy, physical comedy with some biological realism made me chuckle out loud …and thanks CayBeach for tweeting about it)