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New Venomous Spider Species Discovered On Popular Aussie Tourist Island

A new species of venomous spider has been discovered near the coast of a popular Aussie tourist destination. But rather than name the creature herself, the woman who found the "dainty" 1.5cm spiny trapdoor spider turned to the kids at a local school for help.

"I get a lot of people scared of spiders," world renowned spider expert Dr Jessica Marsh told Yahoo News. "But I really find that if you start working with younger kids, before they get fear built into them, you can really spark wonder in these animals and hopefully they learn to have a fascination with them.

Before determining the creature's name, Marsh workshopped ideas with children attending school on Kangaroo Island in South Australia where it was found. In determining the name, they discussed its appearance and also the habitat where it was found. Then she asked for submissions.

A new trapdoor spider has been discovered on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Source: Dr Jessica Marsh

"It was amazing the enthusiasm. They give me names written on pieces of paper. And then I had the very difficult talk of choosing one," Marsh said.

The 1.5cm long spider, which Marsh describes as "dainty rather than a beefcake", was ultimately named Blakistonia rooinsula.

"Roo is for kangaroo, and insula is Latin for island. It was a nice thing having the children of Kangaroo Island naming a species that's only known here."

More creature discoveries around AustraliaHow dangerous is the new spider discovery to humans?

Describing and naming animals is important to taxonomists like Marsh, because doing so enables them to be protected.

Since making her discovery, Marsh has spotted several others around the island, but she believes they are probably "quite rare". Because they live on tidal creek banks, rising sea levels from climate change is a likely threat.

Children at a local high school named the spider Blakistonia rooinsula. Source: Dr Jessica Marsh

While Blakistonia rooinsula is probably venomous, like most Australian spiders their bite is probably not particularly dangerous to humans.

"With these spiders, the fangs are large enough certainly to pierce the skin. Some species you come across are very defensive… but these ones were much less so, you'd probably have to provoke them to get bitten. Still I'd probably approach them with caution," Marsh said.

The description of Blakistonia rooinsula has been published in the Australian Journal of Taxonomy. Marsh is the Conservation Lead at Invertebrates Australia, a councillor at the Biodiversity Council, a member of the IUCN Spiders and Scorpions Specialist Group, and Adjunct Research Fellow of Arachnology at Murdoch University and an Honorary Research Associate at the South Australian Museum.

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Nightmarish 'Spider' Phenomenon Revealed In Photos Of Mars

In something straight out of an episode of Doctor Who, a Mars orbiter has spotted what appears to be a swarm of spiders crawling across the red planet's surface.

These "spiders" were recently captured on camera by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft near a surface formation known as the Inca City, and the pictures are enough to make any arachnophobe's skin crawl.

Of course, these aren't actually spiders. They are small dark features that form on Mars' surface as a result of gas busting through a layer of carbon dioxide ice.

These "spiders" near Mars' south pole were captured by an instrument aboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The dark features form after frozen CO₂ bursts out from beneath the Martian surface. These "spiders" near Mars' south pole were captured by an instrument aboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The dark features form after frozen CO₂ bursts out from beneath the Martian surface. ESA/TGO/CaSSIS

Another Mars orbiter, ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, captured the arachnoid scars even more clearly in 2020, revealing the secrets of the strange formations.

These "spiders" are thought to be caused by the sun heating up layers of frozen carbon dioxide on Mars' surface. The planet's south pole, where these spiders were spotted, can see temperatures drop as low as –243 degrees Fahrenheit, freezing CO₂ in the air into solid ice.

The sun's heat causes the carbon dioxide ice at the bottom of the layer to turn into gas, which builds up like a shaken can of soda, bursting through the top layers of icy CO₂. As the gas explodes outward, it brings with it dark materials from the ground, which are scattered between 150 feet and 0.6 miles around the starburst shape of the cracked ice. From orbit, these strange formations look a little bit like spiders.

In the new Mars Express image, these "spiders" are seen scattered across the planet's hills as well as near a formation known as the Inca City, which was named for its gridlike network of ridges that resemble the ruins of Incan towns. This formation, also known as Angustus Labyrinthus, was first spotted in 1972 by NASA's Mariner 9 probe.

An image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft shows "spiders" scattered near the Inca City formation on the red planet. An image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft shows "spiders" scattered near the Inca City formation on the red planet. ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

Scientists still don't really understand how Inca City formed. Different theories suggest it could have resulted from sand dunes slowly turning into stone over time or magma leaking through fractures in the planet's surface.

Another theory is that Inca City might sit within a crater from an ancient impact, with the collision having caused faults to form across the nearby region. Lava leaking through these faults may have then formed the walls of the Inca City formation.

These spiders aren't the only bizarre-looking formation on Mars' surface. A strange spoon-shaped rock was snapped by Mars' Curiosity rover in 2015, while a freaky face-like feature was photographed in 1976 by the American Viking 1 orbiter and lander.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Mars? Let us know via science@newsweek.Com.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

St. Paul Police Investigate Apparent Whip Attack: "a Shocking And Unusual Incident"

Morning headlines from April 19, 2024

Morning headlines from April 19, 2024 01:50

ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police are investigating what they call a "shocking and unusual incident" after someone filmed an apparent whip attack Thursday afternoon near the Wabasha Street Bridge downtown.

Police say a witness called 911 at about 1:30 p.M. To report the assault, which happened near the bridge's north side off Kellogg Boulevard and Wabasha Street.

The victim was still at the scene when officers arrived, but police say he was "uncooperative." The extent of his injuries is unclear.

Another witness posted a two-minute video of the attack on X/Twitter, which appeared to have been filmed from the nearby InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel.

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The video shows a bald man wearing a light-colored sweatshirt and dark-colored shorts stalking and repeatedly whipping the victim, who uses a cane.

After striking the victim about six times, the suspect walks over to a bicycle, rides over to the victim, dismounts and then strikes him once more before riding east on Kellogg.

Police call the attack "an isolated incident" and are asking for anyone with information to call 651-291-1111.