A new course from the National Biodiversity Data Centre developed by Collie Ennis of TCD’s Zoology Department is a calming antidote to exaggerated and inaccurate media reporting about spiders
The males wander around scouring for females in dark places such as under sofas, bookcases and beds. She’s a sedentary homebird who spends her time in her self-built home, made of sheets of horizontal silk with a tubular retreat in the corner. Once the male finds her, they’ll mate, and he’ll then loiter nearby to deter other males from getting near.
We have something to gain from sharing our spaces with spiders, given that they will gorge on pesky household creatures we’re not so keen on The harmless Giant House Spider is, says Ennis, “very gentle”. The male of another species, the Nursery Web Spider, found in damp meadows and along our coast, will offer his female mate a nuptial gift of prey to stop her from eating him. Then there’s the charming black and white Zebra Jumping Spider, found around tree trunks and on garden furniture. Ennis writes that it spins a single silk thread, like a bungee cord, before pouncing on its prey.
Ennis’s course is a calming antidote to exaggerated and inaccurate media reporting about spiders. Last year, researchers analysed over 5,000 global news stories on spiders, published between 2010 and 2020, and found that 47 per cent of the articles had errors and 43 per cent were sensationalist, frequently using words such as “deadly”, “terrifying”, “horror”, and “poisonous”, even though just 0.5 per cent of spider species – there are 50,000 of them worldwide – pose a severe threat to humans .
And before you decide to whoosh that elegant Daddy Long-legs away, spare a thought for its most helpful habit: it will hunt and eat the
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A Long Week Ahead for Trump and Why the Polish Elections Matter So Much.This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston delves into the geopolitical landscape as Poland heads into an election. The war in Ukraine has cast a long shadow o...
Read more »
The Old Oak: Ken Loach’s last orders deliver a generous roundA little solidarity goes a long way in the great film-maker’s final offering
Read more »
Brave 12-year-old boy saves his dad's life after he suffers major cardiac arrest'It is amazing he was able to do that at his age, he was alone and terrified but without a doubt his actions saved his daddy’s life.'
Read more »
Klopp re-energised and excited by new-look Liverpool’s prospectsJürgen Klopp believes long-term stability at the top is important to a young, recently-constructed team
Read more »
What’s behind the unprecedented rise in levels of STIs in Ireland?Sexually transmitted infections have been around for as long as mankind but experts say patterns of human behaviour are changing now that sex is instantly available through dating apps
Read more »