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  Are ‘Wrap around spiders’ dangerous? If you are an arachnophobe like me, then you better know about this species before going out for hiking. The Wrap around spider is a creature of nightmares. The creature seems to be creepy and poisonous. We may expect this to be venomous, isn’t it? But no! The wrap around spider’s venom is not dangerous to humans. The spider belongs to the family of Araneidae. Some species of this family are known to be venomous but the wrap around spider is said to poison free. Due to the ring-like patterns on its body, the wrap around spider is also known as the Leopard spider. The spider as a special ability to blend with its surrounding. This kind of camouflage is called mimesis. Also read:  How biosyntheic spider silk are obtained artificially? Are water striders dangerous? The wrap around spider is known to hide during the day and build large vertical webs during the night. So, if you stroll or go out for hiking in an adventurous spot, yo

  How do water striders perform 'skating', 'rowing' and 'darting'?   Water striders have specially featured legs. They not only repel water but also configured to allow efficient and rapid movement across the surface. Like all other insects, they also have three pairs of long legs. Image by| Sweetaholic The front legs are much shorter, and allow the water strider to quickly grab prey on the surface. The middle legs act as paddles. The hind legs are the longest and provide additional power, and also enable the strider to steer and brake. Image by| Ddzphoto The long legs spread the insect body weight evenly on the water surface. They move by skating in a slow, graceful glide or darting in a quick, spurting motion. Skating is done when moving upstream against a current or getting to food and other striders. Gliding is done by ‘rowing’ with the middle legs. Image by| analogicus Water striders can dart a distance of 100 body lengths in a second.  Dart

  Are water striders dangerous? |What do they eat? Water striders have the unique ability to walk on water and so they are also known as ‘Jesus Bugs’ because they appear to ‘walk’ on water. Researchers say that there are around 500 species of water striders all over the world. Around 50 species are estimated to live in North America. Image by| Jggrz Water striders are generally predators, so people doubt- ‘Are water striders dangerous?’ Water striders survive by capturing and feeding on other creatures. But they are not dangerous. Infact, they are considered as beneficial to people as they prey on other harmful insects including mosquito larvae. Image by| Toadienaulls They are known to be medically harmless. They do not bite but may leave a minor sting that goes away without treatment. The sting may leave a small red mark for several hours, but do not require medical attention. What do water striders feed on? Water striders are aquatic insects. So, they eat newly hatched

  How do water striders walk on water without sinking? | What will happen if water striders get drowned?   Water striders are one of the most interesting insects. The  Gerridae  are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as  water striders . Water striders are also known as water skaters ,  water scooters ,  water bugs ,  pond skaters ,  water skippers ,  Jesus bugs , or  water skimmers. They are found widely in lakes, creeks, urban ponds, water features and even mud puddles. How do water striders walk on water? Water striders are mostly seen skipping water very rapidly with their long legs. They are very light weight insects whose legs are covered with millions of microscopic hairs with tiny groves. These groves trap air bubbles which increases buoyancy of this insect. Photo by Tanguy Sauvin  via unsplash  How does it make the insect float? The intermolecular attraction between like-molecules is known as ‘cohesion’. Water molecules attract one

  5 Disadvantages of Potatoes |Health| |How to make potatoes healthier?| Potato is known as the king of vegetables.  It is consumed in variety of dishes all over the world; especially it goes well in all types of Indian dishes. Indian cooking is incomplete without potatoes. It has become a staple food. While many people consider potatoes to be healthy, potatoes have managed to stir up some controversy with its disadvantages. In our last post, we discussed about 10 benefits of potatoes, from skin to health related advantages. But, potato sometimes may become unhealthy if we do not consume it properly. So, here is a list of 5 disadvantages of potatoes we all should know. At the end, we are also providing some reference tips to make potatoes healthier. 1. Potatoes contain Glycoalkaloids Glycoalkaloids are a potentially toxic family of chemical compounds found in the solanaceae family of plants. Green potatoes, are especially high in glycoalkaloids and so are harmful f

  10 Benefits of Potatoes | Health and Skin The potato is a root vegetable native to the Americas, a starchy tuber of the plant  Solanum tuberosum. It belongs to the family ‘Solanaceae’ and genus ‘Solunum’. The potato was originally believed to have been domesticated by the indigenous people of Americas. It was domesticated around 7,000-10,000 years ago. Also read | Diet during Covid-19 Potatoes were introduced to Europe from America within the last half of the 16 th century by the Spanish. The most rapid expansion in production over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia. As of 2018, China and India became the leading countries in the overall production. Today, it is regarded as the essential crop in Northern and Eastern Europe and gradually became the staple food in many parts of the world. Image by DiViArt The vegetative and fruiting parts of the potato contain the toxin solanine which is dangerous for human consumption.   Normal potato tubers

Stargazing Events of August 2020 With the appearance of Comet NEOWISE , July was the best month loaded with many astronomical events for stargazing. However August is no less than July with its perfect stargazing weather and dark skies. If you also missed to spot the NEOWISE like me, you will get many other chances in this month. Although I should have posted this article before starting this month, but it’s not that late to watch the remaining events in the early August.  So, check out these space events of August 2020 and let me know in the comment section, 'which one is the most curious event you are waiting to see?'. Also read: Who will be the first Woman on Moon? August 1-Triangle of Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn Image Courtesy of Starry Night Education On August 1st, the Moon made a lovely triangle with Jupiter and Saturn low in the southeast after sunset. The trio was visible all night, rising to its highest point in the south. If you did miss them, there's an