Top 10 new species 2011

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail  IISE, October 24, 2011
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Each year the IISE announces a list of the Top 10 New Species for the preceding calendar year. The Top 10 New Species described in 2010 are listed below, in no particular order.

 Darwin's Bark Spider




This orb-weaving spider builds the largest orb-style webs that are known to science. Webs of this species have been found spanning rivers, streams and lakes with "bridgelines" reaching up to 25m in length and total web size reaching up to 2.8m2. The silk spun by these spiders has an average toughness of 250MJ/m3 with the highest measured at 520MJ/ m3. This makes it, "the toughest biological material ever studied, over ten times stronger than a similarly-sized piece of Kevlar" and more than two times stronger than any other known spider silk. The unusual behaviors of this new species will allow us to understand size dimorphism, mate guarding, and self castration (among others). Also discovered in association with Darwin's bark spider was an undescribed symbiotic fly species.

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