Why is it called a Sparklemuffin?
Sparklemuffin also has a more scientific name: Maratus Jactatus. It got the nickname from the graduate student that first identified and discovered it. Researchers say that the uniqueness of this spider is the fact that it has a very soft appearance.
What does the Sparklemuffin look like?
Sparklemuffin has an iridescent red-and-blue striped pattern on its abdomen, resembling the three other members of this group of peacock spiders. Skeletorus, on the other hand, looks very different — white stripes on a black body, with subtle iridescent blue scaling on its abdomen.
What are two facts about the Sparklemuffin?
Maratus jactatus (colloquially named sparklemuffin) is a species of the genus Maratus (peacock spiders), an Australian member of the jumping spider family. Maratus Jactatus have the ability to jump lengths up to 50 times their size of about 10 mm.
What does the Sparklemuffin spider eat?
Fish
Fish-Eating Spiders Found Around the World: Photos Both Sparklemuffin and Skeletorus, along with the three other known species that belong to the calcitrans peacock spider group, share certain similarities, some of which have a lot to do with the way the arachnids perform their characteristic mating dances.
Where can you find a Sparklemuffin?
Australia
The new “Sparklemuffin” species, Maratus jactatus, is found only in Australia. The 53 named species of Maratus spider are found only in Australia, but photographer Jürgen Otto, who has helped to discover 20 new species of peacock spider in the past four years, believes that many others are just waiting to be described.
Where was Sparklemuffin found?
This colorful, dancing arachnid is just one of the new peacock spider species that’s been found in eastern Australia.
How big are Sparklemuffin spiders?
The spiders are very small, measuring between 3 and 7 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long, he added.
How big is a Sparklemuffin spider?
Who named the Sparklemuffin?
ESPM graduate student Madeline Girard had always loved animals, but it wasn’t until she took a course on animal behavior as an undergraduate student that she realized studying them could be a career.
Where would you find a Sparklemuffin?
The new “Sparklemuffin” species, Maratus jactatus, is found only in Australia. The 53 named species of Maratus spider are found only in Australia, but photographer Jürgen Otto, who has helped to discover 20 new species of peacock spider in the past four years, believes that many others are just waiting to be described.
When was the Sparklemuffin found?
You discovered two new species, “Sparklemuffin” and “Skeletorus,” while in Australia in 2013. How did you find them, and how did you come up with such fun names?
How big is the Sparklemuffin spider?
Maratus jactatus, nicknamed Sparklemuffin, is a tiny spider: males are barely 4.5 mm long, though females are a bit bigger, up to 5.3 mm long. The species name jactatus means ‘rocking (jolting)’ in Latin, a reference to the very rapid lateral rocking that punctuates the courtship display of males of this species.
Are there any poisonous berries in the wild?
Wild berries thrive in many climates, and they’re packed with nutrients and powerful plant compounds. Though wild berries can be tart, they’re quite versatile and can be enjoyed in a wide variety of ways. However, some wild berries contain toxic compounds.
What happens if you eat a berry that is poisonous?
Toxicity. If poisoned, victims experience a choking sensation (burning and tingling of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, and stomach). Ingesting one or two berries can cause severe poisoning in children, while ingesting twelve berries can be fatal for an adult human.
What happens when you eat a pokeweed Berry?
Pokeweed berries (also known as ink berries) grow in clusters, like grapes, and ripen from white to green to rose and finally purple. Ripe berries stain the hands purple when crushed. Eating over 10 berries may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and severe diarrhea.
Are there any Jerusalem cherries that are poisonous?
Jerusalem Cherries look very similar to tomato fruits because of the close relation of being under the same plant family, but unlike the tomato plants, these cherries are harmful to human beings and not recommended meant for eating. Gardeners grow them in homes in pots but finding them in the wild is also very possible; they grow: