Nancy E. Rewalt – Editor
Since February 2008
$.75 Spider Sense
June - July 2010
Aerial's Most-Wanted Characters
The Town's Featured Citizen
Aerial is the spider of the month, May 2010. He is patterned after a “cross spider” which lives in many parts of the world. The male is ¼” to ½” in body size while the female is larger = ½” to ¾”. The legs are not included in these measurements. Multiply the body length of the female or male spider by three and
By Springer, the Jumping Spider
get an approximate visual image (body + legs) of a real live “cross spider”. Guess what Gals, most female spider species are larger than the boys, but the males have longer legs. This garden spider is brownish orange in coloration with white markings on the dorsal side (top) of the abdomen in a “cross pattern”. This “Araneus diadematus” species spins a symmetrical 5 to 6 sided orb web which hangs vertically like a bike wheel with a center hub and spoke extensions. The spokes are linked together by a silk thread spiraling out from the center to the outer edge of its 20” diameter web. The spider hangs upside down at the hub (center) and awaits the arrival of flying and jumping insects. Grasshoppers, horse flies, and mosquitoes, YUM! The female lays its egg cocoon on a twig or leaf at the side of its web. This spider arachnid originated in Europe and was brought over as a stow-away on a merchant ship—very sneaky. The cross spider inhabits the northern east coast and Great Lakes areas of the United States. Be careful not to walk through its web in your garden or in the bushes between the neighborhood houses. It’s there to protect your flower garden!
Kids Rule!
Presentations
FOUR presentations to choose from for schools and youth organizations - Click Here for a preview
Upcoming Events
Coming Soon
Fundraisers
15% of all book revenue from September to November 2010 and 15% of t-shirt revenue will go to The Smile Train to help children suffering from a cleft palate.
In the Know – Q's & A's
Question of the Month:
How long does it take an orb weaver spider to build its web?
Answer: 30 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the amount of damage to the silk web. Some orb weavers eat last night’s web in its entirety before creating a new web. The silk is excellent protein for a spider. If there isn’t a great deal of damage from the weather, struggling prey or dust causing a non-stick silk surface; a repair can take but a few minutes. If the web needs to be replaced (eating and building), it will take an hour or two to do the job—IN THE DARK! Thank you, Erin from Casco, MI. Great question!
Literary Corner
The Tarantula Scientist authored by Sy Montgomery and photographed by Nic Bishop is a non-fiction depiction of SPIDERS. The book’s readability is 9 years and older, but the interest level is all ages. The informational content is outstanding and the photographs are phenomenal. It earned Montgomery and Bishop the “The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book” award. This science book about arachnids, details the survival habits, physical characteristics, and natural habitat of the larges group of spiders on Earth—the TARANTULA. The story and pictures capture the day to day exploits of Dr. Sam Marshall, biologist, working in the field in French Guiana, South America or back at the lab in Hiram, Ohio. The mating, molting, brushing off hairs (defensive behavior) and much, much more are captured on camera and in the text. Other arachnids and spider enemies (tarantula hawk, snakes, man—to name a few) are also featured in The Tarantula Scientist. A glossary of words, bibliography of extra reading, websites for spiders, and an address and website for a family trip to French Guiana and Emerald Jungle Village are incorporated into the back matter of the book. What a great book! It contains a wealth of information on tarantulas and the photos put the spiders “up close and personal”. This is a library “must” book.
Writer's Challenge
July - December 2010
Enter your manuscript for a chance to win a "writer's T-shirt" for each of your home room classmates and an autographed Aerial book of your choice.
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