The Bio Blitz exposed me to a variety of very mundane insects, or so I thought were mundane, after learning more about the ancestry of some of insects. I found and captured the Bull Spider. The Bull Spider  is one of the most common and smaller spiders found. They are typically gray or brown and move really fast. Now the Bull Spider has nothing special to add to its biological makeup. What was more interesting was when we were told to look upon some of its family members, specifically the Wolf Spider.  The Wolf Spider are very agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They are typically ranging in size from 0.4 to 1.36 inches. They are also able to camouflage themselves from prey because of their drab coloring. Yet what makes them one of the more unique type of spiders is their nursing habit. Wolf Spiders are able to carry all their eggs with them . The egg sac, typically a ball of silk, is attached to the end of the abdomen. The spiders would elevate their abdomen so that would be able to walk and not damage the eggs. Even with the egg attached to the abdomen, the spider is still able to hunt. After a period of time, the eggs hatch. For other spiders usually the young disperse and start surviving on their own or near their mother. Yet, for the Wolf Spide, even after the egg hatches, the young will remain attached to the mother. It is not like they are unable to move, or the silk remnants

keep in place, it is just for protection. The young would move up the legs and settle on the mother’s legs or abdomen and remain with her for a time as she hunts or moves.

Another spider that I looked up just for interest was the Brown Recluse Spider. They can grow between 0.24 and 0.79 inches.  Now unlike both of the spiders mentioned above, this spider has hemotoxic venom, which destroys blood cells. Now if the bite isnt treated immediately it can lead to necrosis. The spiders arent aggressive, you could only get a bite if you brush up next to it. Most cases reported where from people who would simply put on clothes and never notice the spider in the first place! These spiders aren’t found in the Northwest coast (thank god) but are instead found mostly in the southwestern region of the United States. You can identify this spider by looking at its eyes and abdomen. It is unique in that unlike most spiders that have 8 eyes, the recluse has 6 eyes. They also have a black line coming from its head and thorax region.

Overall my experience at the BioBlitz was very informative, and it was interesting to learn more about the dangerous spiders as an interest.