Amazing Zoology

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/6lxdx Image Credit: Koragit The long horned orb-weaver, Macracantha arcuata, is also known as the curved spiny spider. It has two long spines extend from its sides. Usually found in southeast Asia and India It can also be found in parts of the southeast United States where it is an introduced species. Macracantha is a genus of spiders in the Araneidae family. As of 2018, Macracantha arcuata is the only species in the genus.

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/drl98 Horseshoe crabs live primarily in and around shallow coastal waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. They occasionally come onto shore to mate. Horseshoe crabs superficially resemble crustaceans but belong to a separate subphylum of the arthropods, Chelicerata, and are closely related to arachnids. Horseshoe crabs are closely related to the extinct eurypterids (sea scorpions), which include some of the largest arthropods to have ever existed, and the two may be sister groups. The earliest horseshoe crab fossils are found in strata from the late Ordovician period, roughly 450 million years ago. Morphology of a limulus (horseshoe crab) : marine arthopod which lives near the shore. Frontal organ : organ of the horseshoe crab situated at face-level. Chelicera : a pair of venomous hooks situated on the head of a horseshoe crab. Walking leg : floating appendage. Genital operculum : struc...

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/5z-f- Image Credit: https://infovisual.info A beautiful image showing the internal anatomy of a spider. A spider’s body is divided into two regions, Prosoma, anterior part and Ophisthosoma, the posterior part. Prosoma contains head, antenna and the legs. Everything else is self explanatory.

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/v763- Image credit: Christoph von Beeren and Alexey K. Tishechkin Nymphister kronaueri is a tiny beetle that lives among ants. They live exclusively among one species of army ant, Eciton mexicanum in Costa Rica. These army ants are nomadic, spending a few weeks in one place before migrating for about three weeks to new territory. Shown in green circle is the beetle, attached to the abdomen of ant. Image credit: D. Kronauer The beetle can move about and feed while the host colony is stationary, but when the ants move, so must the beetles. There come the mimicry. The beetle with only 1.5 millimeters length, is shaped, sized and colored just like the abdomen of a worker ant. The beetle uses its tiny mandibles to clamp down on its host’s abdomen as the ants move. This makes it look like the ant has two abdomens. Like other myrmecophiles, or ant-lovers, these beetles likely use similar che...

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/bnkoi The Japanese spider crab has the greatest leg span of any arthropod, reaching up to 5.5 m from claw to claw. The body may grow to a size of 40 cm in carapace width and the whole crab can weigh up to 19 kilograms, second only to the American lobster among all living arthropod species. This crab was known to the Japanese for the serious injuries it can cause with its strong claws. The Japanese spider crab is occasionally collected for food, and even considered a delicacy in many parts of Japan and other areas in the region. Information Courtesy: Wikipedia

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/ybe34 © Phillip Barden, Hollister W. Herhold & David A. Grimaldi Contents 1 Newly discovered extinct ant species 2 What is a trap jaw mechanism? 3 Taxonomic position of new species 4 Mouthparts make these ants unique 5 So how did they eat? 6 Bibliography Newly discovered extinct ant species A new species of trap jaw ant and has been described by a group of scientists from USA. This new species of ant described is already extinct and estimated to have lived almost 100 million years ago. The specimen was found preserved in amber dated 98 million years from Myanmar. What is a trap jaw mechanism? Ants with trap jaw mechanism can keep their mandible in open position. Then they can close it rapidly by striking it with clypeus above. (Clypeus is a broad plate at the front of an insect’s head.) Clypeus is usually reinforced in these ants. Most of the trap jaw ants have a trigger...

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/7-3lv A beautiful orchid, isn’t it? But it is an insect, commonly called as Orchid mantis. It is known by various common names including walking flower mantis and orchid mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantises from their resemblance and behaviour. This one, Hymenopus coronatus, can be found in the rain forests of Southeast Asia. More information can be fount at https://www.keepinginsects.com/praying-mantis/species/orchid-mantis/

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/qsbpf Even though it seems like an ant, it is not! This is one of 3,000 species of wasps in the family Mutillidae of Order Hymenoptera. Commonly known as Velvet ants, but black and white specimens are sometimes known as panda ants due to their hair coloration resembling that of the giant panda. Their bright colors serve as aposematic signals. They are known for their extremely painful stings, hence the common name cow killer or cow ant. However, mutillids are not aggressive and sting only in defense. Unlike true ants, they are solitary, and lack complex social systems.

This article was originally posted at Amazing Zoology . View original article at http://amzoo.in/tsbif A giant isopod is any of the almost 20 species of large isopods in the genus Bathynomus. They are abundant in cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Bathynomus giganteus, the species upon which the generitype is based, is often considered the largest isopod in the world, though other comparably poorly known species of Bathynomus may reach a similar size. The giant isopods are noted for their resemblance to the much smaller common woodlouse, to which they are related. Giant isopods are a good example of deep-sea gigantism, as they are far larger than the typical isopods that are up to 5 cm. They are infamous for attacking and destroying fish caught in trawls, and they are eaten in Taiwan.

This article was originally posted at Mantis Shrimp Mantis shrimps are marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda. They typically grow to around 10 cm in length. The largest mantis shrimp ever caught had a length of 46 cm and was caught in the Indian River near Fort Pierce, Florida, in the United States. A mantis shrimp"s carapace (outer covering) covers only the rear part of the head and the first four segments of the thorax. They are among the most important predators in many shallow, tropical, and sub-tropical marine habitats. However, despite being common, they are poorly understood as many species spend most of their life tucked away in burrows and holes. Mantis shrimps are called "sea locusts" by ancient Assyrians, "prawn killers" in Australia and now sometimes as "thumb splitters" – because of the animal"s ability to inflict painful gashes if handled incautiously. These animals sport powerful claws that are used to attack and kill prey by...