Honey bees probably originated in tropical Africa and spread from South Africa to northern Europe and the Usa, and eastwards into India and China. They are now found worldwide except at the poles. A honey bee hive is an extraordinary places. Tens of thousands of bees work together for the greater good of their colony-building and maintaining the hive, finding food, fending off predators, feeding and rising the young. There is a strict caste system in force inside the hive. A queen (a fertile female) lays eggs; a few hundred drones (males) exist to mate with her; and many thousands of workers (sterile females) do the daily tasks. Tireless producers of honey and first-class pollinators of many crops, honey bees are one of the most beneficial of all insects.

Eggs by the Thousands

Shortly after metamorphosing from a pupa into a bee, the queen takes her first and only nuptial flight. She mates in mid-air with one or more drones, which then die. String their sperm inside her; she transforms into an eggs-laying machine, producing up to 2000 eggs a day during the warmer months. Each egg is stored in a honeycomb cell at the centre of the hive. If the queen releases sperm onto the eggs, it hatches into a worker. if she doesnt it develops into a drone. After a few days, a tiny worm-like larva crawls from the egg and is fed by workers. The larva grow and develops within the cell, becoming a pupa, before emerging as an adult bee. The workers choose a few larvae to become queens, feeding them on a protein-rich subtance called royal jelly, which they produce in glands in their heads. Potential queens may replace the old queen or fly away to start new colonies.

Part of bodies

• Five eyes-three small ones on top and large compound eye on each side of the head help the bee to distinguish colours
• Antennae are slender, jointed feelers on the front of the head which have tiny sense organs for smell
• Each front leg has a notched structure which it uses to clean dirt from its antennae
• Pollen is carried in areas called baskets on the workers hindlegs
• Four wings enable the bee to fly forwards, backwards, sideways or to simply hover

Statistics

• status – common
• social unit – colony
• length – 0.3-2.7 cm
• weight – 0.1-0.2 g
• breeding season – spring
• incubation period – 21-24 days
• number of eggs – up to 2,000 eggs a day
• breeding interval – continuous
• diet – nectar, honey and pollen
• lifespan – queen: 5 years; drones: 4-6 weeks; workers: 6 weeks

Myth or fact

Honey bees have developed an intriguing form of communication. When a foraging worker finds a new source of nectar and pollen, it returns to the hive and dances in front of other workers. The bees movements seem to tell the other bees in which direction the food is located as well as its distance from the hive. It also produces a scent which scientists believe may provide further information, including the type of flower.

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Blue-ringed octopuses live in Indo-Pacific waters from southren Japan to Australia in depths of up to 30m (100 ft). They are usually found on reefs, in crevices and rock pools, and occasionally on sandy seabeds. A tiny, golf ball-sized killer lurks quietly in the tidal pools and coral reefs of the Pacfic and Indian Oceans. When threatened its vivid blue rings ‘glow’ on its body. this warning that animals or people ignore at their peril – the blue – ringed octopus is so venomous, its bite can kill a person in minutes. What’s more thereis no known anti-venom. Luckily the blue-ringed octopus is not aggressive, attacking only when provoked. There are four species, all lethal.

Loved to death

Its miniature size and beautiful markings have put the blue-ringed octopus on the wish list of many home aquarium owners. This has led to widespread hunting, which is now threatening previously stable populations. When wild animals are caught for the pet trade many more die in transit than actually reach the countries where they are sold. This is certainly true of the blue-ringed octopus. Coupled with the damage done by hunters to the coral reefs many blue-ringed octopuses inhabit, there is now some concern for the future of these animals.

Part of bodies

• Large eyes gives excellent colour vision
• Blue, iridescent rings warn other animals that the octopus is poisonous
• Eight tentacles each equipped with a double row of suction pads for gripping rocks and prey

Statistics

• status – locally common
• length – 15-20 cm (6-8in) including tentacles
• wieght – 25-50 g (1-2 oz)
• breeding season – all year round
• number of eggs – up to 30
• diet – small fish, crabs, prawns and other invertebrates
• lifespan – males: up to 2 years ; female : 6 months

Myth or Fact ?

To the Yanyuwa Aborigines of northern Australia, the blue-ringed octopus is sacred. They consider it to be the earthly from of the Pleiades star constellation which, they believe, controls the health and fertility of the environment. To them the octopus ‘s glowing blue rings are the stars themselves glittering on its body.

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The Crown of Thorn sea star is found on coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It occurs in its greatest numbers on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and around the islands of Indonesia. Many armed and covered in long, poisonous spines, the crown of thorns sea star has a forbidding appearance and reputation as one of the most destructive marine animals. These starfish feed voraciously on the living corals that make up tropical reefs. Congregating sometimes in tens of thousands, they move like a slowly advancing army over a reef, leaving behind a wasteland of destroyed coral that will take many years to recover.

Controlling Interest

Conservationists are looking for ways of controlling the crown of thorns sea star. Million have been culled, but to limited effect. Erecting underwater fences around small areas of reef works well in keeping out the adult sea stars, but such a project is unlikely to be practicable on a large scale and would not keep out the animals larvae. One possibility is the use of biological control methods, such as the introduction of predators, but this risks disturbing an area,s ecological balance.

Part of Bodies

• Skin is reinforced with tough particles made up of magnesium calcite
• Number of arms varies-may be as many as 23
• Poisonous spines, up to 3 cm long, break off and lodge in the skin if the animal is handled
• Central disc contains the stomach, digestive organs and sex organs. The anus is placed at the top of the body

Statistics

• status – locally common
• diameter – up to 40cm
• sexual maturity – 2 years
• breeding season – summer months
• number of eggs – up to 60 million in season
• diet – corals; also algae and crustaceans
• lifespan – up to 7 years

Myth of fact

Lots of people think that sea stars have eyes. What they actually have are eyespots at the tip of each arm which act as light sensors. These sensors contain a red pigment which changes when light is present and may enable the sea star to get its bearings.

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Although there are many species of tarantula, the dffierent forms generally share similar characteristics. Their large, hairy bodies are often strikingly marked, and some species have become popular as pets. Collection of the red-kneed tarantula has put the wild population at risk. The red-kneed tarantula is arguably the most popular of all pet tarantulas, and people have been collecting specimens since the 1970s. First discovered in 1888, the spider was soon recognized as having potential as a pet. It was also used to heighten tension in films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Such publicity encouraged collection, and tarantulas were sold in pet stores for many years. The red-kneed tarantula is found mainly in Mexico and Central America. Its natural habitat is scrubland and desert that provide temperatures of 70-90°F (20-30′C) and humidity of about 60 percent. The spider is found near cacti and bushes, and among logs, rocks, and other debris. It digs burrows in the ground that it lines with spider silk. For most of the time the spider is relatively docile. However, a threatened red-kneed tarantula will rear up and display the red bristles on its body. As a defensive measure it will flick off urticating (irritant) hairs in the direction of its predator. The hairs are microscopically barbed (having tiny hooks) and can be irritating to the skin and lungs, causing a form of urticaria (an allergic disorder). Serious damage can occur if any hairs become embedded in the eye. Although most people are not seriously affected by the spider’s venom, some are allergic to it and can have a strong adverse reaction.

Intriguing Habits

The red-kneed tarantula has a typical spider form, including a pair of fangs (chelicerae) that it uses to stab prey and inject venom. Pedipalps-small appendages near the mouth-have a number of functions, including handling prey. The spiders have poor vision, but sensory structures on the end of the legs allow them to smell, taste, and feel. The tarantula does not spin a web to catch its food; insects, small amphibians, and sometimes mice are actively hunted at night. The prey is subdued with venom and then flooded with digestive juices. Tarantulas are unable to digest food internally, so the digested “soup” of nutritionally valuable parts of the prey are sucked back by the spider. Males are often eaten by their mates after mating. When mature, a male spider spins a tubular web in which he deposits sperm. He then draws the sperm up into a special receptacle in his pedipalps. When mating is about to start, the male makes courtship signals, which help ensure that the female does not mistake him for prey. He uses tibia) spurs (sharp projections) to grip the female’s fangs while placing sperm in the female’s reproductive tract.

Black Market

Although red-kneed tarantulas are relatively easy to keep, they are not easy to breed in captivity. The females live for a long time, often up to 20 years in captivity, but their reproductive rate tends to be slow. As a result of their popularity with collectors and the tarantula’s vulnerability to habitat change, the species has become seriously threatened. Populations could not sustain the demands of the pet trade, and the wild spiders are now difficult to find. Mexico has prohibited their capture and export, but a black market still exists: Smugglers have been caught trying to take them out of their native countries.

DATA PANEL
Red-kneed tarantula Euathlus smithi

• Family: Theraphovdae
• World population: Unknown
• Distribution: Central America and Mexico
• Habitat: Scrubland and desert
• Size: Length: up to 2.5 in (6.4 cm); leg span: up to 5 in (12.7 cm)
• Form: Cephalothorax (arachnid with joined head and thorax); opisthosoma (abdomen) with 4 pairs of strikingly patterned legs; claws for gripping. Eight eyes on head allow all-round (but poor) vision. Males have thin body and long legs; mature males have tibia) spurs (sharp projections) on pedipalps (appendages on cephalothorax) to grip female’s fangs during mating
• Diet: Insects; also small animals such as lizards and mice
• Breeding: Female produces up to 700 young a year (often fewer). Eggs wrapped in silk and carried by mother. Spiderlings guarded for several weeks after hatching. Life span of males 7-8 years; females 20-25 years in captivity
• Related endangered species: None

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