Stonetribe

Oh I am so glad you ask. As I mentioned earlier, fishing spiders can walk across the surface of the water. Their able to do this thanks to the special hairs on their legs and bodys that help trap air bubbles ultimately allowing them to manipulate water tension, in addition to keeping the dry. They can even dive under the waters surface for a short while. When hunting, they will keep their hind legs anchored to the shore on something solid like a rock or a plant, with their front legs resting atop the waters surface feeling for the vibrations of potential prey. When they do find something, they'll dash towards it with uncanny speed and proceed to pounce and engulf it with their entire bodys. They can catch and eat anything from small insects that have fallen onto the waters surface to much bigger meals such as tadpoles, fish, and even frogs. I think I know a video detailing this pretty well, hold on.

However I should say that my particular breed of fishing spider is much more terrestrial and does most of her hunting on land.

That being said, the forums local arthropod overlord shall be retiring to bed now. Any attempts to disturb my slumber shall be delt with by my desert centipede guards. They may or may not be of giant car sized proportions, so yeah... Don't try them. Good night everypony.

Oh I am so glad you ask. As I mentioned earlier, fishing spiders can walk across the surface of the water. Their able to do this thanks to the special hairs on their legs and bodys that help trap air bubbles ultimately allowing them to manipulate water tension, in addition to keeping the dry. They can even dive under the waters surface for a short while. When hunting, they will keep their hind legs anchored to the shore on something solid like a rock or a plant, with their front legs resting atop the waters surface feeling for the vibrations of potential prey. When they do find something, they'll dash towards it with uncanny speed and proceed to pounce and engulf it with their entire bodys. They can catch and eat anything from small insects that have fallen onto the waters surface to much bigger meals such as tadpoles, fish, and even frogs. I think I know a video detailing this pretty well, hold on.

However I should say that my particular breed of fishing spider is much more terrestrial and does most of her hunting on land.

Excuse me? I actually have a pet spider! She's a dark fishing spider so while her particular breed tends to live the farthest away from water, I still think she can walk on the waters surface like her more aquatic prone sisters. I found her on the backside of my dad's shed last fall and decided to take her in. She happily eats crickets I buy at the local pet store, but seeing as how the weather is warming up, I'll probably be able to start catching them for her again. She's shed her skin twice now, she's about the size of a playing card now. I'll have to take some pictures sometime and post them here. Her name is coincadently Rosey, though I was considering the name Scarlet.

Pikmin?! OMIGOSH I love Pikmin! Both titles! They're two of the most amazing games I've ever played!

You see? This one has the right idea.

I love this song.

Speaking of beetles, I should do a highlight on stag beetles and rhinoceris beetles. They're both pretty cool.

I find spiders adorable.

Oddly, I find all insects either interesting or cute, except moths. Oh god, moths...

That's the spirit.

Please, people always cuddle with dogs. I'm gonna be origanal and cuddle with a giant turantula.

It's so big! Oh my Celestia, it's so big! *faints*

Thanks for the info, Bugmaster! I've learned something new!

They're certainly not web-weavers, are they? I imagine they'd be too heavy to hang out on a web in the air.

Nah, although goliath spiders do employ silk when on a look out for food. You see, when hunting they will lay out single strands of silk in the area which act like little trip wires. If suitable prey passes by, they will be alerted and pounce with great strength and inch long fangs.

On a personal note, I really, really, like these guys. I often find myself wishing I had a giant dog sized version that I could cuddle with whenever I take a nap.

Well this is long overdue, sorry guys. I'll get right too it.

The Goliath Bird Eating Turantula also known as simply as the Goliath Spider.

The Goliath Spider is found in rain forrest regions of South America. And despite it's name, it does not normally eat birds. This name's orgin comes from reports of it's first discovery in the victorian era where one explorer witnissed one eating a humming bird. It's other defining feature is that by mass, it is the biggest spider known to man. (by legspan, that title goes to the huntsman spider) Here's a picture so you can grasp how big it is.

Yes, it's very, very big. I can also gladly say that to humans, it is relativly harmless. It's venom is comparable to that of a wasps sting. It's fangs are about and inch and a half and length, and yes, can pierce human skin. However like almost all spiders, they only bite in self defense or if they feel threatened. Intrestingly enough, a bite is the least of your worrys. To ward off threats, the the goliath spider will franticly rub its back with its legs, kicking its hairs up into the air. These hairs, if caught in your eyes, nose, or the back of your throught are very very insanly irritating. I think I remember hearing somewhere that people who have fallen victem to this method of repealent have stated that they would have much rather been biten.

"Alright, zats enough loitering you lot. You all vill be late for your classes it's... Ack what time is it anywayz?" Dr. Bones pulled a stop watch out of his lab coat and glanced at it. "Oh, not another 45 minutes untill classes start. Forsaken alarm clock... Thatz vat I get for trusting machinary" I suppose I can grab some coffee, maybe a few donuts before ze new nurse traniee shows up." Dr. Bones started walking away. "I just hope this new one has more guts than the last, ze pansy acted like he's never seen an amputation before. Pshhhh! I had to clean up that vomit..."

In front of the university main gates, a taxi carridge came to a rough stop to briefly kick out a tan unicorn stallion before speeding off in hopes of finding a more well mannered customer. "I've cultivated bacteria in a petri dish that could drive better than you!" Dr. Bones yelled as he picked himself off the ground and made his way into the commons. "7 bits for a ride hardly 3 blocks... How outrageous!", he mumbled. He noticed a trio of students chating it up as if there wasn't a care in the world. How dare they act so nonchalantly when his day has been nothing short of a living tatarus since he first steped hoof out of bed! "Vat are you kids doing out here? Shouldn't you be in class or something?"

Regarding the "civilizations comparison" subject, I don't really think we can talk about which one is better and all. We're just too different. We barely even share common goals and interests, beside perhaps basic survival and expansion at a specie-level (in which we're both very good). How would one be better than another ? I'm really curious to know what you think when you say that, Stonetribe.

Yes, it is true that the fact that we're both entirely different species may be enough on its own to make any sort of accurate comparison. Even still, when I look at an ant colony (using argentines as an example again, if your not familler with them, check the first insect highlight of this thread) I see a sociaty better than our own in many aspects. The one thing that's different between us and ants is the level of intellegence. Some ants might be a bit smarter than others but they're all still almost entirely instinct driven. They are born willing to selflessly work, fight, and even die, and ask nothing but the nescesitys to survive in return. Humans have much more evolved minds. With this, comes human emotions and being more prone to free will. These two things have a large effect on human actions. If a group of humans are tasked with building a bridge, it wouldn't be uncommon for them to hesitate to do such lengthy and tiresome task. They might put in less effort during constructing, leading to the finished project being unstable or not as strong as it would should they gave it their all. They may also argue with one another over who does what, wasting time that could of been used building. One of them might even refuse to work at all. Ofcourse, not all humans are lazy and immature (sadly, this is very often the case). This is just one example of the millions of instances where humman nature gets in the way of a more important task on hand. That fact aside, ants never have and never will experience any of these distractions. If instructed to build a bridge, they will start as soon as possible. They will give the task 100% effort. They don't have to disscuss who does who, they just start working on the first part of building the bridge that isn't already occupied they find. If they can't find one, they will just help the nearest ant with what there doing. And ofcourse, an ant would never refuse to build bridges that need building, dig colonys that need diging, gather food that needs gathering, or fight threats that need fighting.

Huh, maybe I should start a seperate philosphy thread... What do you guys think?

Here's a bug highlight on the Black Widow Spider.

Black Widow spiders range in size from as little to half an inch to up the size of a paperclip. While they are most easily identified as black with a red hourglass symbol on their abdomen, they can also simply feature red spots or no markings at all. Black widows can be found on every continent on earth execpt Antartica. However they are ussually most common in warmer climates. Like most spiders, they commonly prey upon small insects that wonder into their web. This can include flys, moisquitos and grasshoppers. While the Black widow is notorous for haveing a deadly, poisoness bite, and is infact the most venomous spider in north america, they are seldom lethal, and only do so in self defense when they feel threatened. Cases of death are almost always exclusively present in infants and the elderly, who are natuarally more vurnalable to sickness and infection. To get more specific, there are only 8 confirmed deaths caused by black widow bites. Nethertheless, just as all with venomous creatures, care should be taken if you suspect to be biten. Wash thouroughly with soap and water to prevent infection. If more noteable symptoms develop such as muscle cramps, headache, or itching and rash, merely go to the nearest hospital, as this can be easily treated. On another note, Black Widow spider silk is among the strongest spider silk in the world. It is often compared to Kevlar, a synthetic fiber used in bulletproof vests. The tensile strength of spider silk is comparable to that of steel wire of the same thickness, but only after being properly spun I assume. Reaserch for industrial and millitary use as well ways to artificially produce the genes of the protein found in it have and been and are being conducted.

This looks like a good place for my first RP. Let me ask you something though, would it be ok If I was a giant (roughly twice a pony's height) talking preying mantis?

Even if google did choose me, I'm not sure if I would be worthy to marry the wonderful man/women that is google.

Making new friends is so fun!

I only joined this forum a day or 2 ago and people are already assiociating me with insects own their own accord.

This pleases me greatly.

so I suppose there arent any gamestops in Ireland?

I don't see why not. Nothing a quick google search can't solve! Oh google, if you were a person, I would be one of your many suiters wanting to marry you.

Definitely the mad scientist... lol

Ha ha, really? I could see why some ponys would hesitate to talk to a guy with bugs crawling all over him. That is, if they don't scream and run at the sight first. At least a mad scientist's ocupation wouldn't be imediatly apparent. Unless he has a few of his undead "children" following him around.

I can't say I've played either of them

But I have heard overwhelming praise for it. Mostly from youtubers like Chuggaaconroy and SlimKirby

Makes me really want to play them

Like I said to blaze, if you have a wii and know a local gamestop, you can probably pick up used copy for less than 5 bucks.

Played both of them. The Gamecube era was my most active video gaming times.

Actually, I always thought it was kinda terrible that in Pikmin 2, you basically just return to their planet to make a profit, on the expense of the Pikmin race. XD

Yeah, I suppose this is true. It's a good thing Olimar geniunly cares for the pikmin. Although, you could argue that in both games, Olimar helps teach the pikmin survival skills during their adventures. Before the first one, there was only a single one of each kind of pikmin remaining!

I really liked Iron Will in putting your hoof down. Should I feel stupid for hoping he would show up to help motivate Fluttershy in Hurricane Fluttershy? Or hopeing that he might be a bouncer for the royal wedding? Or just to see him again at all?

i'll definitely have to check it out!

Be warned, I will hold you to that. expect me to be asking you about it in the next following weeks. It is friday, so I might just hit you up with a message this weekend.

I'm not sure if I could decide between a unicorn or earth pony.

I'm not much for history, but I really enjoy science. It would be interesting to see the different kinds of fields I could study seeing as how magic is involved. But I'm also a big animal guy, especially with bugs.

If I was a unicorn, I would be like a mad scientist and study the arts of golem making or reanimating the dead into simple minded servents. I would treat them like my own flesh and blood.

If I was an earth pony, I would keep a colony of ant friends who would live in my mane.

But which one would be a bigger social outcast...