Latest news with #spiders
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Are spiders an untapped resource for horticulture pest-control?
Put down the insecticide... the spider will take care of that. Photo: Claire Concannon, It's estimated that spiders consume up to 800 million tons of insects globally every year. But a new paper by Plant and Food Research says there's been very little analysis on the role that spiders play in managing pests on horticultural farms in Aotearoa New Zealand Researchers behind the paper are calling for more funding to study how spiders can be used for more eco-friendly pest control practises in our horticultural sector. Lead author Nicola Sullivan joins Kathryn to discuss.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Could spiders help manage pests on New Zealand's farms?
A female nursery web spider guards her nurseryweb. Photo: Claire Concannon, Unravelling new information about spiders could be the key to unlocking productivity in the horticulture sector, according to scientists. An article published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology found there had been no research on the role spiders play in managing pests on horticultural farms here in Aotearoa. Lead author and PhD candidate Nicola Sullivan, from Plant and Food Research, said spiders could help increase fruit production through predating pest insects, but more information was needed to attract spiders to these environments. "Spiders are the most diverse and most abundant generalist predators in horticultural systems that have been seen overseas." She said they could play a "beneficial role" within horticulture, though she acknowledged it might be more difficult to rear them and introduce them to systems. Part of this was that most of the New Zealand research to date has focused on spider numbers in specific farm ecosystems. "We can look at ways that we can enhance and encourage them into those systems," Sullivan said. "So if we can understand what it is that the spiders like about a habitat, do they like the complex branch structure as they've found overseas, do they like native plantings... we can create those conditions within the productive system to encourage those spiders in and perform that ecosystem service of consuming pest insects." It's been estimated that spiders consume up to 800 million tons of (mostly) bugs globally per year and overseas studies had shown the positive impacts of this on horticultural farms. "I think it's an approach we should be looking at in Aotearoa New Zealand." Sullivan said more funding was needed to study how spiders can be used for more eco-friendly pest control practices in the horticultural sector. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
3 new sea spiders discovered on ocean floor are first known species to feast on methane
Even thousands of feet below the water's surface, no arachnophobe is truly safe from spiders. And, thanks to a recent discovery by a team of scientists, three more species have been added to the list of sea-dwelling arthropods — with the special distinction of being what researchers called "methane-powered." Three new types of spiders were recently found in deep-sea habitats, far beyond the reach of sunlight, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Shana Goffredi, the study's lead author and chair of biology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, told USA TODAY that researchers found the first new species in July 2023 off the coast of Del Mar, California, a beach town about 20 miles north of San Diego. Scientists then discovered the other new species off the coasts of California and Alaska, Goffredi said, adding they live between 600 and 1,200 meters below the surface. Some are as large as a grain of rice, according to the professor. Others, much larger. "They belong to an interesting group of sea spiders that have only ever been found at very specialized habitats on the seafloor called methane seeps," Goffredi said. Some species also live at hydrothermal vents, or geothermally heated mineral-rich springs on the sea bottom. "Because they are localized to these specialized habitats, we had a suspicion that they were tied to the high-energy compounds that emanate from the seafloor in those locations," Goffredi continued. "By conducting shipboard experiments, we were able to show definitively that they use methane, through bacterial epibionts that live on their exoskeleton. By farming them, and then consuming them, they take advantage of a nutritional resource that is not common in the animal kingdom." As of Friday, June 20, scientists said they continued to study the spiders' complete role in the ecosystem. "We don't yet know their full role in their ecosystem just yet. It's pretty hard to do behavioral observations in the deep sea," Goffredi said. "But no doubt they are a prey source for other organisms and they probably help distribute organic carbon to other areas of the seafloor." By growing what researchers called "a crop of methane-oxidizing bacteria" that consume methane molecules on their exoskeleton, the spiders help the planet's larger ecosystem by acting as a biological filter to prevent methane from escaping from the deep sea. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scientists discover new sea spider species that eats methane
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Girl, 9, catches pet bug by keeping 122 ‘cute' tarantulas in her two-bed house
A GIRL of nine has caught the pet bug by keeping 122 tarantulas in her two-bed house. Isla Wheatley, who got her first spider at six, said: 'They're just too cute to resist. I want people to know spiders aren't harmful.' 5 5 Mum Megan, 33, of Rotherham, South Yorks, said: "I don't have the heart to tell her to stop. A lot of people say, 'how do you do it?' "But I see how much passion she has for it. Why would I stop that? "She sees something we don't. It's amazing how she speaks to them. "Yes, I'm terrified of them escaping. We had a Huntsman spider jump out of its enclosure last month and I had a panic attack. "But Isla's enjoyment and happiness trumps my fear. "When you see children that happy, how could you not support it?" Fascinated Isla said: "They're not here to hurt anyone, they're not here to harm. "You have to love the unloved. That's why I like them." Megan added: "She was just turning six when she got her first one. We did all hope it was a phase but four years is a long time. "Since then Isla's helped me come to terms with it. I do think education is key to help a fear and I think that's what Isla tries to get across on social media. Skin-crawling moment more than 140 tarantulas found hidden in CHESS SET by customs officers "It is scary being in a house with over a hundred tarantulas but I feel as a parent, you have to support your children. "When you ask most kids what they want they'll say sweets or a toy. Isla says she wants a tarantula." Tarantulas can cost from "£3 to over £100" depending on age, size and species. Some females can live to over 20 years. 5 5 5
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bec Judd reveals the crippling phobia that has led to her smashing her phone THREE TIMES: 'Should be a warning'
Bec Judd has revealed that her irrational fear of spiders has led her to smashing her phone three times. The 42-year-old appeared in a video posted to Instagram Stories on Thursday in which she admitted she had just broken her phone yet again. The device was smashed when Bec scrolled past an image of a spider posted to Instagram. An exasperated Bec asked why people would 'do that' and post images of arachnids without a 'warning' for those who have fears like her. Bec has a long standing fear of spiders and has previously admitted that the phobia is taking a toll on her home life. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Bec Judd (pictured) has revealed that her irrational fear of spiders has led her to smashing her phone three times. The 42-year-old appeared in a video posted to Instagram Stories on Thursday in which she admitted she had just broken her phone yet again The device was smashed when Bec scrolled past an image of a spider posted to Instagram. An exasperated Bec asked why people would 'do that' and post images of arachnids without a 'warning' for those who have fears like her The designer she can't even be in the same room as the eight-legged creatures and revealed she'd leave her Brighton home if one were ever to crawl in and make itself comfortable. Re-sharing a video of TikTok star Millie Ford reacting hysterically to a massive spider in her room, Bec explained the excessive measures she takes to avoid seeing the arachnids. '(Millie) is literally me except I pack up my bags and go and stay in a hotel or with family and I don't come home until pest control have come,' she said alongside the clip. In Millie's video, the star excused her reaction due to 'bad trauma' from her childhood. During her appearance on The Amazing Race Australia, Bec had a public meltdown over a fried tarantula in Cambodia. 'Nup, this is like my worst nightmare,' Rebecca said, letting out a scream as she put both hands on her head. 'I think we take a time penalty. I can't do it. I can't even be in the vicinity [of the spiders].' Bec is so deathly afraid of spiders that she's seeking professional help. The mother-of-four posted a plea for advice to her Instagram Stories asking her fans if they could recommend a treatment for her fear. Pictured: A redback spider The mother-of-four posted a plea for advice to her Instagram Stories asking her fans if they could recommend a treatment for her fear. 'Random from me. Have you used a hypnotist for a phobia and did it work?' Bec asked. She previously explained she is so terrified of spiders that she can't even look at pictures of the critters and had destroyed her phones in terror in the past. 'Keep 'em coming. Think I might need to book in,' she wrote. 'I've smashed two iPhones from throwing them across the room when someone's spider videos randomly upload on Instagram when I'm scrolling' Bec went on. 'That content needs a trigger warning. It's like I'm holding a huntsman spider in my hand. Kill me.' 'So I think it's time for some proper help' she concluded. Arachnophobia is the acute fear of spiders and is quite common as it affects around six per cent of the population. Fried tarantula is a delicacy in Cambodia, but Bec was having none of it. The former model was insistent the team take a time penalty over doing the challenge In extreme cases arachnophobia suffers may experience panic attacks as a result of their fear. It is one of the most common phobias in the world. Adults with a lifelong debilitating spider phobia can find relief through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). They can also try exposure therapy, which is used to treat phobias by slowly increasing the level of exposure to the feared object.
