Brandi Pessman

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Stop Copying Me! – Spiders that buzz like wasps

January 5, 2021September 16, 2022 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments mimicry, predator-prey interactions, spiders, wasps

Buzzzzzz. It’s a wasp. It’s a bee. No, it’s a spider! Did you know that some spiders can make a sound? Palpimanus spiders can produce a wasp-like buzz by rubbing their front appendages against their mouthparts. Many animals have learned not to eat anything that buzzes for fear of being stung. To avoid being eaten, Palpimanus spiders have copied this sound even though they are entirely harmless. Stop by to find out what all of the spider buzz is about!

Animal behavior Science through time

Clues to the Past – What fossils tell us about ancient animal behavior

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments animal behavior, dinosaurs, ethology, fossils, paleontology

Hundreds of millions of years ago, Earth was teeming with life. Since humans weren’t around back then, we have to rely on fossils for snapshots into that world. Fossils give clues on how animals and their behaviors have evolved throughout geological time and can help with today’s conservation efforts. But what can fossils tell us about animal behavior, and when were some of the earliest behaviors? That’s a mystery worth digging into!

Animal behavior Cities Ecosystems

Life in the City – Humans alter city habitats for plants and animals

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments adaptation, cities, disturbance, urbanization

Cites are ecosystems, just like a forest, desert, and prairie are ecosystems. As human populations grow and move to urban areas, cities expand into other ecosystems. Plants and animals must adjust to the rapid changes that result. Humans are the biggest threat to organisms, but why are cities challenging environments for plants and animals? Let’s learn more about one of the largest and growing ecosystems on land… cities!

Cities Ecosystems

It’s Complicated: Plant-pollinator relationships differ from urban to rural areas

September 3, 2020September 3, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments cities, flowers, plants, pollinators

Flowers and the butterflies they attract are beautiful additions to any yard, but your garden is serving a greater purpose. Pollinators – including butterflies, moths, bees, and wasps – depend on plants for survival and are essential for plant reproduction. Plant-pollinator relationships are especially important for agriculture and our food supply. Cities pose many challenges for both plants and their pollinators which could strain their relationship. Find out how cities put pressure on plant-pollinator relationships and what you can do to help!

Animal behavior

Stop and Smell the Flowers: Color-changing spiders blend in to avoid being eaten

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments color change, crab spiders, flowers, predation

Can you think of any animals that can change colors? I bet a spider didn’t come to mind! Believe it or not, crab spiders can change colors from white to yellow depending on the color of the flower they occupy. When an insect arrives at a spider-inhabited flower, the crab spiders use their long legs to grab their meal. Matching the color of their flower may allow crab spiders to hide from their prey and predators. Stop, smell the flowers, and see if you can spot some crab spiders!

Animal behavior Environmental Science

Good Vibrations: Katydids communicate when the wind is calm

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments communication, katydids, vibrations, wind

Bzzzt! Our phones vibrate to let us know that someone has sent us a message and would like to communicate. Hundreds of thousands of species of animals, including katydids, use vibrations to communicate too. Male katydids vibrate their abdomens against plant branches to send information to other katydids, but these communications can be interrupted when wind vibrates plant branches at the same time. To avoid this disruption, katydids wait until the wind calms down to broadcast their signals. “Can you hear me now?”

Animal behavior Climate Environmental Science

“Mite”-y Mothers Protect Their Eggs from Drought

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments drought, eggs, humidity, mites, mothers

Mother’s Day is near, and what better way to celebrate than by learning about some “mite”-y moms! When predatory mite mothers are exposed to drought conditions, they prepare their eggs to survive stressful environments. In doing so, mite mothers exert more energy and resources which reduces the number of eggs that are produced and the time the mothers survive.

Cities Environmental Science

Sound the Alarm: Traffic noise increases predation threat to prairie dog colonies

April 7, 2020April 7, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments alarm calls, cities, prairie dogs, predation threat, traffic noise

Humans are noisy, especially in cities. Traffic noise may challenge the ability of prairie dogs to detect predators and warn other prairie dogs. Prairie dogs increase vigilance and flight response when our noise may mask the sounds of predators.

Cities Environmental Science

Masters of web design – city spiders build smaller, fuller webs

March 6, 2020 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments behavioral ecology, cities, spiders, urban ecology, urbanization

European garden spiders build smaller, fuller webs in cities where there are fewer, smaller insects to eat.