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I love insects n' stuffs ^^ Especially spiders.

[COLOR=Purple][FONT=Garamond]I can't believe that most of the bugs/arachnids in this thread are so creepy! Spiders freak the heck out of me. Now here's a bug worthy of mention! [IMG]http://www.ecology.info/images/wide-monarch.jpg[/IMG] [CENTER]Class: [I]Insecta[/I] (insects) Order: [I]Lepidoptera[/I] (butterflies) Family: [I]Danaidae[/I] (Milkweed butterfly family) Genus: [I]Danaus[/I] Species: [I]plexippus[/I] [/CENTER] When I was in elementary school, we used to keep Monarch cocoons in a little aquarium until they hatched, and after a few days, we would set them free during class. It was so cool, we would study the life cycle of these regal little bugs (metamorphosis) and how they migrate to Florida/Texas/Mexico during the winter. The larvae only eat milkweed, and the females lay their eggs on the underside of the milkweed leaves, and they hatch in about three to twelve days, depending upon the temperature. They'll feed for a couple weeks before attaching themselves to a twig and go into their chrysalis phase. [IMG]http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_pupa.jpg[/IMG] The cocoon becomes transparent as the butterfly inside develops, and after another couple weeks it emerges with an abdomen swollen with fluid to fill its wings. It'll rest for a few hours before its wings harden and dry, and it will then rest before taking off to populate the world with more poisonous little beauties. Yeah, eating milkweed as larvae makes them deadly to predators, hence why they are brightly colored and not camoflauged. They are so beautiful, truly one of my favorites. ^.^[/FONT][/COLOR]

[color=darkviolet][font=lucida calligraphy] Ah! Kill it kill it! Sorry, I couldn't resist. I don't like anthropods or arachnos in the least, but still there is something intriguing about an animal called a Black Widow Genus: Latrodectus Phylum: Arthropoda Sub Phylum: Chelicerata Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Sub Order: Labidognatha Family: Therididae Species: 6 Curious Facts Black Widow is considered the most venomous spider in North America. The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the prairie rattlesnake. Black Widow spiders are not usually deadly, especially to adults, because they inject only a small amount of venom. Only the female Black Widow is venomous; males and juveniles are harmless.. The female Black Widow hangs belly upward and rarely leaves the web. The Black Widow is also called the "hourglass" or "shoe-button" spider. Araneae is the Latin word for spider. More than 35,000 spider species of spiders occur in the world. Of these, about 3,400 species in 64 families are found in North America. Vital Stats Weight: 1 gram. Length: 1-1.5" Span: 1-3" Sexual Maturity: 70-90 days. Mating Season: Spring Incubation: 14-30 days No. of Eggs: 250-700/sac Birth Interval: 4 to 9 egg sacs/summer Lifespan: up to 3 years Typical diet: insects You just have to love something that kills after it mates Blessed be Chibi Horsewoman[/color][/font]

[QUOTE=Derald][FONT=Lucida Console][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] The periodical cicada is quite interesting as it spends a great majority of its life (13 or 17 years) as a juvenile nymph living underground, feeding upon the roots of trees. After this, the nymph finally emerges from the ground and works its way up onto a tree, where it will harden its outer shell and grow into an adult within, breaking out when the transition is complete. The cicada will now have a few weeks to live in which it must find a mate, lay its eggs, and start the cycle over.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE] [size=1]I'm very sorry, Derald, that I cannot contribute meaningful information to your thread. I just wanted to pop by and comment. By reading your post, I finally know what those shells where that freaked me out when I was little. I used to play on my grandparent's private playground thing in their backyard, and on the tops of the monkey bars, there were those curious shells... and I thought that the cicada was just being still, waiting for my fingers to reach up there so it could bite 'em. I learned a few years later, after mustering the courage to touch one, that it's just hollow. So thanks for telling me those were cicada shells.[/size]

[color=DarkGreen][font=Trebuchet MS]So ... many ... spiders ... I might leave modding of this thread to Stu and Panda in future. Personally I'm quite a fan of the Pond Skater. [img]http://www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/habitats/images/pondskater.jpg[/img] I'm afraid I don't know the genus or anything ... I just find it fascinating that something can have evolved to take advantage of surface tension the way these do. That and the Jesus Lizard - any animal that walks on water is good in my book. [/font][/color]

[SIZE=1] [QUOTE=sakurasuka][SIZE=1]I really really don't like those Hercules Beetles... They kinda freak me out, sorry Derald =( I do, though, like all types of Orb Weaver Spiders. My favorite being the most common of them, the Argiope. [/SIZE][/QUOTE] I ran into one of those, once. While I was lost in a field on safari. Scariest moment of my life? Yes. I looked down to see one of those on my arm and made my friend hit it with a stick...while screaming hysterically. I don't like spiders very much. =/ I do however like snails. [IMG]http://www.graficimages.com/snail.JPG[/IMG] =D Why? Simply because they're adorable. I used to keep pet snails when I was younger and I had a little 'snail circus' in an old wooden drawer out in my back garden. One of the snails was called Speedy, how cute and cliché is that? Haha. I don't know anything about snails, really, but someone once told me that certain snails eat each other. Dunno if that true, but when I tried to start my snail village in a cupboard, I opened the doors to find empty shells. Probably due to the lack of oxygen and heat. I thought I was being kind. (It was that big one, he ate them!) ;_;[/SIZE]

[quote name='Derald][FONT=Lucida Console][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]You know what else is interesting about the mantis? In some species the male has become completely non-existent, and the females reproduce by laying unfertilized eggs which, surprisingly, hatch into more females. This process is known as parthenogenesis.[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] [SIZE=1]That is genuinely creepy. But now it's time for the spider we've all been waiting for, the one that sends chills down all of our spines, the one we've all heard of-- The Black Widow. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/black_widow_spider_picture.jpg[/IMG] Black Widow Spider Araneae: Theridiidae, Latrodectus mactans We all know that the black widow is black and has that tell-tale red hourglass. The females grow to be about 1 1/2 inches (38mm) long, 1/4 inch (6.4mm) in diameter. The males are similar in size, but have lighter colors and generally have streaks on thier underside rather than an hourglass. The bite of a Black Widow spider can be deadly, of course, so seek immediate help if bitten. INTERESTING FACTS: The female eats the male after mating. She hangs belly upward and rarely leaves the web.[/SIZE]

[color=#4B0082]Probably my favorite insect is the praying mantis, or [i]Mantis religiosa[/i] (Order Mantodea, Family Mantidea). I find them around here occasionally, and I like catching and keeping them as pets. Usually it's not hard to find food for them; moths, beetles, and other easily catchable insects abound in the spring, summer, and fall. Watching them catch and devour their prey alive is lots of fun. For some general info, these mantids grow to about 2, 2 1/2 inches long, and have wings covering their abdomen, which they can use for short flights. Males are usually a tan color, and females are green like the one in the picture. Another interesting thing about mantids is that, after mating, the females eat the males. They're like the ultimate dominatrixes.[/color]

[SIZE=1]I really really don't like those Hercules Beetles... They kinda freak me out, sorry Derald =( I do, though, like all types of Orb Weaver Spiders. My favorite being the most common of them, the Argiope. Black and Yellow Argiope- [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/unmei_shinpai/argiope.jpg[/IMG] These orb weavers can be almost 3 inches long from leg tip to leg tip. Although they are large and intimidating, their bite is only dangerous to people who experience severe allergic reactions to insect and spider bites. Argiope spiders are also called "writing spiders" because of the bold zigzag pattern that they build into their web. We have three of these spiders in our backyard right now, I'm really amazed by how they build thier webs! The structure is facinating! They weave the zigzag pattern that matches the patterns on thier back. They do this so that when they see a predator, they can simply sway thier web back and forth to make themselves look much bigger and intimidating. Similar to a herd of Zebras, actually. Edit- [QUOTE=Goddess][font=tahoma] [i]*If you would like to see the damage of these spiders venom, google "brown recluse". Only do so if you have a strong stomach. [/i][/font][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]Wow... Just... Wow... That was some of the most gruesome stuff ever...[/SIZE] [/SIZE]

[font=tahoma]I myself hate spiders, centipedes (however that's spelt), and maggots. But, for as much as I hate spiders, you have to respect them, and what they [b]can[/b] do. I'm choosing the "brown recluse/fiddle back". This is one spider you do not want to mess around with. The reasons are in plain black and white on the website that I'll link into the scientific name. But I'll just give you an overview of this disgusting creature. [url=http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html][i][b]Loxosceles reclusa[/b][/i][/url] Now, I'm not going to plagiarize OSU's website; so if you'd like more details, read up on it. The information given in that site could very well save your limbs, or your life, if you ever get bit by this spider. Anyhow, this spider gets its nickname [fiddle back] from the violin/fiddle coloring on its back. The spider is brown, and normally doesn't get any bigger than a silver dollar--but that's not always what you'll find. You may see small, darker ones, or large lighter ones. These spiders are the most feared mainly because they are extremely fast, they like to "play dead", and their venom is wickedly strong. A single bite can kill you, if gone untreated. Also, a bite will rot the flesh and muscle around it. I've met people who've gotten bit and they showed me the marks--only, the marks aren't scars; they're craters, holes, in the person's arm/leg/buttock/face. It's scary what this spider can do to you. I remember in the third grade, I was crawling under a house to get to a dog and her puppies. The next day, I was running a very high fever, and my arm was aching so badly, it made me sick. When my teacher lifted my sleeve, she gasped at the swelling. My right arm was scarlett red and burning. So, I was rushed to the emergency room where the doctor diagnosed that I didn't get bit, but the spider could've ran across my arm after feeding and the venom might've just dripped on my arm. If just a surface exposure did that, imagine what a full-fledged bite could do. I used to live in Oklahoma, so the fiddle back was the most common spider. If states had a state spider, the brown recluse would be that. My dad and I were cleaning out our shed, and we pulled off a six foot by four foot sheet of wood from the wall, and the [b]entire[/b] area where the plywood was moved with brown recluses. God it was so disgusting. He and I ran so fast, it was unbelievable. These spiders are incredibly fast, and [b]highly[/b] aggressive. If you recognize one, do not try to catch it. Kill it as soon as possible, and with the bottom of your shoe or some solid object. DO NOT kill it with the bottom of your bare foot, or with your hand. And when you kill it, make sure you squish it good. If you smack it, do it repeatedly. They do play dead, and when you think it's dead and lean over to check it out..be very careful, they jump and run after you. Nasty little buggers. I hate spiders, but this one really scares the piss out of me. Mean, fast, tricky, and very dangerous. I cannot stress how bad they are. Stay away from them. [i]*If you would like to see the damage of these spiders venom, google "brown recluse". Only do so if you have a strong stomach. [/i][/font]