Giant Spider!

[3113]

Fossilized and in China, that is--not crawling around in my house! (shiver!)

Scientists have described a Chinese spider they say is the biggest fossilised arachnid yet found. The female, which lived about 165 million years ago, belongs to a collection of spiders well known today - the golden orb weavers.

These creatures make webs from a very tough and distinctively golden silk.

The researchers tell the journal Biology Letters that Nephila jurassica, as they have called their specimen, would have had a leg span of some 15cm. "She is the largest known fossil spider," said Professor Paul Selden from the University of Kansas, US. "Her body is not the biggest, but if you add in her long legs then she's the largest," he told BBC News.

And here's a picture:
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52259000/jpg/_52259026_spider_selden_304.jpg

More here.

 

[stephen55]

http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/attack-of-the-giant-spiders-from-mars-john-hoagland.jpg

A typical example of the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Reactor spider.

 

[Verdad]

Jorogumo!

In Japanese Kanji, Jorōgumo is written as "絡新婦" (literally meaning "binding lady") or "女郎蜘蛛" (literally meaning "whore spider"). Jorōgumo can also refer to some species of spiders but in casual use it can refer to the Nephila and Argiope spiders.

I couldn’t find a Chinese name, but I’m pretty sure spider women are stock characters in their folk tales too.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

*Shudder*

Please! The real things are bad enough.

 

[RicoLouis]

You ever seen a camel spider?

 

[rgraham666]

You ever seen a camel spider?

Not a spider. That's a solifugid, also know as a solpugid. Closely related though. That picture's a bit misleading. They aren't as big as they look in that picture.

Interesting jaws on them.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R8GHw8I4wiQ/SLCSRlIHCBI/AAAAAAAAA6w/i_v4G9RDYVE/s320/solpugid_jaws.jpg

 

[TE999]

That's it! I'm filling a garden sprayer with Raid. Come and get me you bastards!

 

[LettersFromTatyana]

Ooh, I love spiders. I don't think I reach a David Sedaris-level love of spiders, but they are among my favorite living creatures. I'll move them if they are in the nursery or in the path of my husband's can of Raid, but in general I let them run around the house, snacking on the earwigs and flies that find their way into our old house.

But in general, I have a serious love for misunderstood, beneficial animals. See also: certain wasps, bees, assassin bugs (what a great name), worms, soldier flies . . . .