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JUMPING SPIDERS SAVE HUMANITY

Started by Mesozoic Mister Nigel, July 13, 2011, 05:28:21 PM

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

July 13, 2011, 05:28:21 PM
FILM AT 11.

http://www.asknature.org/strategy/32f38eb481d727ec0421834ca85047e9

So they're not only ADORABLE, they also help reduce the spread of malaria.

Quote"That an East African predator might single out malaria vectors as preferred prey is of considerable interest. Not only is malaria the world's most important insect-borne threat to public health [1,2], but it is especially in sub-Sahara Africa that Plasmodium falciparum and lethal malaria are prevalent [2,3,4,5]. Vectors of human malaria all belong to a particular mosquito genus, Anopheles [1,6,7]. Here we consider Evarcha culicivora, an East African jumping spider [Salticidae]. This species is known only from the vicinity of Lake Victoria in East Africa [8], a region where, even by African standards, the impact of malaria is especially severe [2,9,10]. Innate preference for blood-carrying female mosquitoes was shown for all active size classes of E. culicivora in an earlier study [11], but finer-grain preference for specifically Anopheles was not investigated. Here we show that, when sated, both large and small individuals of E. culicivora single out Anopheles as their preferred prey, and small juveniles of this predator prefer Anopheles even when fasted." (Nelson and Jackson 2006:1)

Hello, I am freakishly cute and I'm saving your life.
                              \
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."

Disco Pickle

#1
July 13, 2011, 05:36:32 PM
You must be using some other definition of "adorable" and "freakishly cute" that I'm not aware of.

"Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter." --William Ralph Inge

"sometimes someone confesses a sin in order to take credit for it." -- John Von Neumann

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

#2
July 13, 2011, 05:47:40 PM
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

#3
July 13, 2011, 05:50:10 PM
OMNOMNOM
              \
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."

Cain

#4
July 13, 2011, 06:13:10 PM
I hate spiders and even I think jumping spiders are awesome.

This just confirms my opinion.

Luna

#5
July 13, 2011, 06:43:39 PM
If they murder the little buzzing vampires, they're cool in my book.  If I see one in my tent, I'll usually leave it.  Three or more, and it's war, but one or two filtering the mosquitos out, yay.  (Could have lived without the brown recluse, exemption does NOT extend to the poisonous ones.)
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"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know, everybody you see, everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake, and they live in a state of constant, total amazement."

Quote from: The Payne on November 16, 2011, 07:08:55 PM
If Luna was a furry, she'd sex humans and scream "BEASTIALITY!" at the top of her lungs at inopportune times.

Quote from: Nigel on March 24, 2011, 01:54:48 AM
I like the Luna one. She is a good one.

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

#6
July 13, 2011, 07:06:55 PM
My friend K is at a conference about jumping spiders for some reason (I am confused about why, as her PhD is in chemistry, not arachnology) and when she told me and our friend b about this, he looked up jumping spiders and said "OH MY GOD, THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!"

I have been spending way too much time with b lately. He is my breakup buddy.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."

Dysfunctional Cunt

#7
July 13, 2011, 07:33:21 PM
Quote from: Cain on July 13, 2011, 06:13:10 PM
I hate spiders and even I think jumping spiders are awesome.

This just confirms my opinion.

THIS!

Freeky

#8
July 13, 2011, 07:38:29 PM
Quote from: Nigel on July 13, 2011, 05:50:10 PM
OMNOMNOM
              \


Okay, even I will agree that this picture is cute. 

D'AAAAWWWWWWW! <3

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

#9
July 13, 2011, 09:56:39 PM
Quote from: Jenkem and SPACE/TIME on July 13, 2011, 07:38:29 PM
Quote from: Nigel on July 13, 2011, 05:50:10 PM
OMNOMNOM
              \


Okay, even I will agree that this picture is cute. 

D'AAAAWWWWWWW! <3

Isn't it fucking adorable? As it munches on a disease-carrying mosquito?

Also I just found out that my chemist friend is IN AUSTRALIA attending this conference wherein she went to a lecture on jumping spiders.  :?

I think she has been doing research on a potential new treatment for malaria, so I guess it makes sense.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."

Dysfunctional Cunt

#10
July 13, 2011, 10:10:40 PM
Well if the spiders don't catch malaria when they eat the mosquitos maybe they have an antibody?

Phox

#11
July 13, 2011, 10:34:50 PM
Quote from: Nigel on July 13, 2011, 09:56:39 PM
Quote from: Jenkem and SPACE/TIME on July 13, 2011, 07:38:29 PM
Quote from: Nigel on July 13, 2011, 05:50:10 PM
OMNOMNOM
              \


Okay, even I will agree that this picture is cute. 

D'AAAAWWWWWWW! <3

Isn't it fucking adorable?
YES. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

#12
July 13, 2011, 11:22:35 PM
Quote from: Khara on July 13, 2011, 10:10:40 PM
Well if the spiders don't catch malaria when they eat the mosquitos maybe they have an antibody?



Plasmodium-genus parasites only affect vertebrates, so it couldn't be that.

I doubt she was there for the spider lecture; she probably went to is as part of a larger conference on malaria. I'll ask her when she gets back.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."

Kai

#13
July 14, 2011, 03:24:10 AM
Quote from: Nigel on July 13, 2011, 11:22:35 PM
Quote from: Khara on July 13, 2011, 10:10:40 PM
Well if the spiders don't catch malaria when they eat the mosquitos maybe they have an antibody?



Plasmodium-genus parasites only affect vertebrates, so it couldn't be that.

I doubt she was there for the spider lecture; she probably went to is as part of a larger conference on malaria. I'll ask her when she gets back.

This is not completely true. Mosquitoes do have a mortality/lowered fecundity factor associated with carrying Plasmodium spp., so it is in their benefit to find ways to keep Plasmodium from infecting. It seriously fucks with their reproductive and digestive systems. I don't think it can transfer to predators though.
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