As we have observed before, nature is clever; species have evolved remarkable ways to outwit their predators and prosper.
Take the daddy long legs spider (Pholcus phalangiodes), bane of house-husbands throughout Herefordshire. Flimsy-legged, with a diminutive body, they spin prolific webs in corners and around beams. Looking hardly big enough to bother a fly, their venom packs a lethal punch. By winter's end, there won't be a single insect or spider remaining in their domain. All will have been consumed.
The thing about the delicate Pholcus spider is its remarkable ability to tackle prey much larger than its size would seemingly allow. With elongated front legs and the ability to throw the stickiest of silk threads from a distance, they can snare a comparatively massive house spider or a raging wasp with considerable facility.
When alarmed, the Pholcus also has a clever trick up its sleeve. Dangling from a thread, the spider throws itself into a dervish spin and becomes an invisible blur. Confusion and deception is its friend.
Yes, politicians and wrongdoers down the ages have emulated the crafty pholcus, surviving many a close shave. But like every other living creature finally, they too will return to dust.
Take the daddy long legs spider (Pholcus phalangiodes), bane of house-husbands throughout Herefordshire. Flimsy-legged, with a diminutive body, they spin prolific webs in corners and around beams. Looking hardly big enough to bother a fly, their venom packs a lethal punch. By winter's end, there won't be a single insect or spider remaining in their domain. All will have been consumed.
The thing about the delicate Pholcus spider is its remarkable ability to tackle prey much larger than its size would seemingly allow. With elongated front legs and the ability to throw the stickiest of silk threads from a distance, they can snare a comparatively massive house spider or a raging wasp with considerable facility.
When alarmed, the Pholcus also has a clever trick up its sleeve. Dangling from a thread, the spider throws itself into a dervish spin and becomes an invisible blur. Confusion and deception is its friend.
Yes, politicians and wrongdoers down the ages have emulated the crafty pholcus, surviving many a close shave. But like every other living creature finally, they too will return to dust.
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