Page 48 - BBC Knowledge - October 2017 IN
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Nature
LEFT A green huntsman spider
stalks its prey through the herbage,
using its long legs to sense vibrations
and then lunge suddenly and
effectively. This female has started
to create a silken cradle under
the unfurling fern frond; here
she will weave a cocoon in
which to lay her eggs.
TOP RIGHT On a rainy night,
hundreds of male atrato glass frogs
call from vegetation around a river
as they attempt to attract a mate.
Eggs are deposited by females on
plants in clutches of up to 35. Males,
measuring 23mm, will guard their
offspring. When the tadpoles are
ready, they drop into the water
and the cycle continues.
BOTTOM RIGHT ‘Ecdysis’ is the
term used to describe the moulting
of the exoskeleton of an invertebrate,
which is shed during growth.
This cockroach nymph has outgrown
its old cuticle and has found
a protected place to complete
the moulting process. Once it has
pulled its body out of its old skin,
the cockroach must wait for the new
cuticle to harden and darken.
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OCTOBER 2017
