[Taxacom] The spider and the slug

[Ken Kinman]

     After looking at the pictures again this morning, my impression still 
is that the oxyopid spider was going after the slug.  Perhaps an even more 
likely possibility is that the male spider found the slug chemically 
attractive.  If one of the slug's pheromones was chemically similar to one 
of the oxyopid's pheromones, the spider could accidentally get stuck on the 
slug.
     The number of chemical pheromones is not unlimited, and there are bound 
to be overlaps that can cause mistakes (as with insects attracted to some 
perfumes).  I always wondered if the common occurence of male spiders being 
found in bathtubs and sinks (during mating season) could be due to an 
attraction to scented soaps, shampoos, etc.
   ------Ken
*********************************
>From: "Robin Leech" <releech at telusplanet.net>
>To: "Ken Kinman" <kinman at hotmail.com>, <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>CC: <docterland at pandora.be>
>Subject: Re: [Taxacom] The spider and the slug
>Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:22:35 -0600
>
>Hi Ken, and Jan,
>I have no clue about who did what to whom in these pictures.
>A spider would not normally go after something that is sticky
>and slimy, and as the spider appears to be an adult male, I
>doubt even further than it was going after the slug.
>It is possible that the spider had died, and dropped to the ground,
>and in the normal course of travelling, the slug slid by close enough
>to pick up the spider.
>Robin
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Kinman" <kinman at hotmail.com>
>To: <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 7:55 PM
>Subject: Re: [Taxacom] The spider and the slug
>
>
>>Robin and Jan,
>>     The spider appears to be on the dorsal side of the slug, so if
>>predation was occurring, I would guess it was the spider that was biting 
>>or
>>eating the slug.  I suspect that the "missing" pedipalp was actually cut 
>>off
>>so that it could be more easily mounted and photographed.
>>
>>    What I wonder about is the phrase "firmly attached".  If the spider 
>>was
>>biting the slug, perhaps it got stuck in the slug's slime?  Or was it
>>hanging on tightly with its leg claws until its poison took effect?
>>   -------Ken
>>*********************************
>>>From: "Robin Leech" <releech at telusplanet.net>
>>>To: "Jan Bosselaers" <dochterland at pandora.be>,"TAXACOM List"
>>><taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>>>Subject: Re: [Taxacom] The spider and the slug
>>>Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:49:58 -0600
>>>
>>>Hi Jan,
>>>Was the spider being eaten by the slug?  One of its pedipalps is missing,
>>>and looks to have been torn off.
>>>If you still have the spider, preserved, there are a number of people who
>>>might be able to help you ID it.
>>>A good way to catch and "fix" molluscs is with novacaine - yes the stuff
>>>dentists use in your gums.  You need only about 0.2 millilitres per 100
>>>millitres of water.  Drop the slug in.  It will go numb very quickly, 
>>>then
>>>relax.  Once it is relaxed, you can drop it into preservative, and it 
>>>will
>>>not
>>>contract into a small ball.
>>>Robin
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Jan Bosselaers" <dochterland at pandora.be>
>>>To: "TAXACOM List" <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
>>>Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 4:45 PM
>>>Subject: [Taxacom] The spider and the slug
>>>
>>>
>>> > Dear Taxacomers,
>>> >
>>> > Two weeks ago, I found these two animals closely associated, at Lake
>>> > Baringo in Kenya: http://www.dochterland.org/slug&spider.htm
>>> > Does anyone know whether this is a chance meeting or not? Does anyone
>>> > know the species?
>>> >
>>> > Thanks,
>>> >
>>> > Jan
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> > Dr. Jan Bosselaers
>>> > "Dochterland", R. novarumlaan 2
>>> > B-2340 Beerse, Belgium               tel / fax 32-14-615896
>>> > home: dochterland at pandora.be  /  hortipes at dochterland.org
>>> > work: jbossela at janbe.jnj.com
>>> > web: http://www.dochterland.org/ or
>>>http://wyith.ch/home/dochterland.org/

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