Arachnids
Categories
ecology, biology, chemistry, psychology, neuroscience, earth science
Although many humans don't enjoy their company, studying arachnids can tell us an incredible amount about biology, evolution and behavioral ecology.
The Projects
Browse the participating projects
Performance-enhancing substances: How do male black widows use chemical cues to gain a competitive advantage?
For a male black widow spider, life is a series of deadly challenges. He must first make a dangerous...
Xenomorphs of the Arachnida: Whip scorpions and their acid defense.
Whip scorpions (vinegaroons) such as the North American species Mastigoproctus giganteus - an unusual arachnid...
Are male daddy-longlegs becoming "endangered?"
Most animal species have populations with equal ratios of males and females, but some have naturally biased...
Why be social? The costs and benefits of sociality in spiders
Sociality in spiders is extremely rare, but it has evolved several times. This begs the question: why be...
The pursuit of happiness: The basis of color in the happy face spider (Theridion grallator)
The Hawaiian happy face spider, T. grallator, is known for its striking color polymorphisms (variations...
Why do spiders decorate their webs?
Many spiders decorate their webs with conspicuous UV-reflecting designs, what makes them bright for some...
More About This Challenge
The sciency details
Challenge Aims
This request for experiments is seeking proposals from all arachnologists. Proposals studying ticks, mites, spiders, and scorpions are all eligible for the challenge.
Examples of previously successful projects:
Why are some jumping spiders so colorful?
Spiders of Yasuni: How do their physical traits determine their lifestyle?
Spiders of Yasuni: How does morphology contribute to ecological success?
The development of non-iridescent structurally colored material inspired by tarantula hairs
Why do daddy longlegs fight during mating?
Project Eligilibity
Any project working on arachnids is invited to participate. Please get in touch if you aren't sure about your idea, by emailing us at support@experiment.com. Interdisciplinary projects are more than welcome! Researchers must be based out of institutions or organizations in the US, UK, Australia, or Canada.
Challenge Grants
Experiment is an online community for making science go faster. Create a research project, get funding, and share your discovery with the world.
Browse Challenge Grants