Tag Archives: spider

(Photo: Michael Podger/Unsplash)Spider silk has long been said to have antibacterial properties. The ancient Greeks and Romans supposedly used the silk when treating flesh wounds, and some recent studies report antimicrobial activity (AMA) on spider silk, leading many cultures and social circles today to believe the sticky substance is a …

Arachnologists have discovered a new species of peacock spider (genus Maratus) in the vicinities of Mount McIntyre and Nangwarry in Australia. Maratus nemo. Image credit: Joseph Schubert. Maratus is a relatively large genus of jumping spiders found in Australia and China. Commonly referred to as peacock spiders, they have a …

Biologists at Vanderbilt University have discovered DNA of the black widow spider toxin in the genome of a virus that attacks Wolbachia, a type of symbiotic bacteria that infects a wide range of invertebrate species, like shrimps, spiders and parasitic worms. Electron microphotograph shows two Wolbachia cells that have infected …