Amazing Mantids and Untangling the Widow's Web
Two informative videos about some awesome arthopods
Arthopods can be a lot of things: crustaceans like crabs and lobsters, insects like the noble mantids, and arachnids like the misunderstood black widow spider all fall under this large invertebrate phylum. You can get to know a couple of the arthropods that can be found in Bugtopia, the Nature Lab, our Nature Gardens and maybe right where you live. Join our Gallery Interpreters, Dan and Val, as they spotlight our mantids and black widows.
Amazing Mantids
These fascinating creatures are found all over the world, but you'd be forgiven for not seeing them: one of their most impressive adaptations is the ability to go unnoticed. Mantids around the world use crypsis, a strategy to avoid detection by predators and prey, to amazing effect. Whether camouflaged in grass green or using mimicry to look just like a leaf, mantids can be hard to spot, but are definitely worth the look.
Untangling the Widow's Web
Black widows should definitely be treated with caution, but like Gallery Interpreter Val explains, "When we learn more, we can fear less." So make yourself braver by making yourself smarter about this shy and misunderstood arachnid. You might just see spiders in a whole new light.
