究極酷造型
蠅虎之眼銳不可當:如果在家中看到會移動快速，且以突擊跳躍方式攻擊獵物的小型蜘蛛，可能就是安德遜蠅虎。安德遜蠅虎屬跳蛛科，視覺相當發達，用以捕食、吸引異性、方向定位與躲避天敵。牠有8顆單眼，位於中央的前中眼相當大，像變焦相機，能看見視野較小但影像極清晰的遠距獵物，眼內視網膜會轉動以追蹤獵物，兩旁前側眼則可協助判定獵物距離之遠近。前中眼以外的6顆眼，功能如魚眼鏡頭，雖然成像較差，但具廣角視野，能感知光影變化，藉此偵測周遭動靜。透過8顆眼的完美搭配，讓安德遜蠅虎擁有全方位的立體視覺，傲視於其他節肢動物。
Extraordinary skills
Distinctive Jumping Spider Eyes:Andanson's house jumper is a spider of the family Salticidae that moves quickly and jumps to attack its preys. It has well-developed vision, which it uses for hunting, courtship, navigation and hiding from predators. It has eight eyes, with the anterior median eyes being very large, resembling a camera’s zoom lens. This means a smaller field of vision but the images of distant prey are clear. The retina moves to follow prey. The anterior lateral eyes help to judge the distance to the prey. In addition, there are six eyes that function like fish-eye lenses. Although the images they produce are not as sharp, they provide wide-angle vision, allowing for perception of changes in light and shadow, as well as movement. Through the arrangement of its eyes, this jumping spider has 3-D vision, which differentiates it from other arthropods
蠅虎利用敏銳視覺來搜尋獵物 Jumping spiders use their well-developed vision to search preys.
一般蜘蛛具有八顆眼睛Spiders usually have eight eyes
蠅虎前中眼相當大且明顯 The anterior median eyes of jumping spiders are large and prominentys.
蚊子之口噬血無數
蚊子的刺吸式口器可不是整根刺入人體內吸血，而是分為兩部份：一是由下唇構成的外鞘，另一部份才是用以吸血的口針，由上唇、一對大顎、一對小顎及下咽頭六根針共同組成。口針內部形成兩個管道，唾液管及食管，唾液管讓蚊子在吸血時能先注入含抗擬血物質的唾液至人體內，使血液不至凝固，再由食管大口吸食血液。其構造之精緻，不得不令人咋舌讚賞。
Mosquito Piercing and Sucking Mouthparts
The piercing and sucking mouthparts of a mosquito are not completely thrust into a person or animal to obtain blood. The labium, or outer sheath, is formed from the labrum. Needle-like structures, or stylets, suck up the blood. From the labrum, a pair of mandibles, a pair of maxillae and hypopharynx form six stylets. Within the stylets are two channels, one is for saliva and the other is for liquid food. The saliva, which contains anticoagulants, is injected into animal or human tissue to keep the blood from clotting. The food channel is used for sucking up the blood. This exquisite design of mouthparts is truly amazing.
蚊子的口器特化成口針及下唇鞘的構造The mouthparts of a mosquito specialize to needle-like structure and the outer sheath
蚊子以針狀口器刺入皮膚，同時吸血及注射唾液The mosquito uses needle-like mouthparts to pierce the host's skin, inject saliva and suck blood
蚊子的口針結構The needle-like structures of a mosquito’s mouthpartseath
科學新發現
蟑螂和你一樣有個性:你知道嗎？蟑螂其實和人一樣有個性上的差異，2015年比利時自由大學以304隻同齡美洲蟑螂雄蟲進行實驗，發現蟑螂具有不同的藏匿和取食行為。研究團隊發現蟑螂大致可分為「害羞謹慎型」和「大膽冒險型」兩種類型，害羞的蟑螂花較多時間藏匿以躲避捕食者，花較少時間探索周遭環境和尋找食物，因此容易處於飢餓狀態；相反地，大膽的蟑螂花較多時間探索環境與找尋食物，花較少時間躲藏，因此被獵捕的風險較高。團隊認為蟑螂的不同性格有助於族群的延續，有效地分散族群風險。
Scientific Discoveries
Cockroaches Have Personalities:Did you know that cockroaches, like people, have variations in personality? In 2015, researchers from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium analyzed 304 male American cockroaches of the same age. They found different hiding and foraging behaviors, which they used to divide the cockroaches into two personality types: shy and cautious and bold and daring. Those of the former type spent more time hiding and less time searching for food. Therefore, they more easily went hungry. Those of the latter type spent more time searching for food and less time hiding. Therefore, they were at higher risk of being preyed on. These differences may help cockroaches to survive as a group by effectively dispersing the risk among group members.
害羞謹慎型蟑螂快速躲藏於遮蔽物下方Some cockroaches quickly choose a shelter to hide from light (Curtesy by Isaac Planas Sitja)ath
大膽冒險型蟑螂會花較多時間主動搜尋食物The bold and adventurous type cockroaches spend more time searching for food(Curtesy by Isaac Planas Sitja)ood
科學家所設計進行蟑螂行為實驗的場所The arena is designed for cockroaches behavior experiment(Curtesy by Isaac Planas Sitja)
白額高腳蛛的白鬍子很有吸引力
白額高腳蛛因為額部有一白色橫帶，故名「白額」，台語稱為「蟧蜈」（或旯犽）（音lâ-giâ），屬巨蟹蛛科，是居家環境中相當常見的大型蜘蛛，會快速移動和主動攻擊獵物，主要取食蟑螂、蛾和蟋蟀等昆蟲。2015年東海大學研究團隊發現，白額高腳蛛額部白毛形成的橫帶，在夜間不但有吸引獵物的功能，也可能吸引雌蛛，團隊發現被刮除白毛的雌蛛能吸引的獵物量僅為正常具白毛雌蛛的23%。而在求偶時，被刮除白毛的雄蛛被雌蛛接受的比例僅為正常雄蛛的30%。結果顯示，白額高腳蛛的「白額」不但能讓高腳蛛吸引更多獵物，也讓雄蛛更「性感」。
Attractive White Band of the Clypeus of the Giant Crab Spider
The clypeus of the giant crab spider, of the family Sparassidae, has a white band. This is one of the large spiders commonly seen in homes. It moves quickly to capture its prey, mainly insects such as cockroaches, moths and crickets. In 2015, a team of researchers from Tunghai University discovered that the white bristles that make up the band on the clypeus attract prey at night and female spiders. The team discovered that when these white bristles were removed from female spiders their ability to attract prey was reduced to 23% that of normal female spiders. Male spiders with the white bristles removed were only 30% as successful as normal male spiders in finding a mate. The researchers concluded that this white band is not only important for attracting prey, but also for courtship.
白額高腳蛛為居家常見最大型的節肢動物The giant crab spider is the largest spider in home th