![]() ![]() per rinse), and post-fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide in sodium cacodylate buffer overnight.įollowing fixation, the specimen was dehydrated via alcohol series (10 min each 35, 50, 70, 80, 90, 95, 100, and 100% ethanol), then critical-point dried. These parts were then fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde for 2 hours, rinsed 3 times in sodium cacodylate buffer (15 min. The specimen to be imaged was collected from a shrub on campus, euthanized by cooling in a -20☌ freezer, and dissected into two parts for fixation- the anterior end of the cephalothorax, including the head and first two pairs of legs, and the posterior end, including the 3rd and 4th leg pairs and the abdomen. The spider is yellowish-gray, 12-20 mm long (including legs) with two black "racing stripes" on the dorsal side of the abdomen. This funnel is often hidden within a leaf, a curled piece of bark, or even a hole in a post or some manmade item. It can be roughly identified by its flat web with a funnel off to one side, where the spider hides. It builds webs in grasses, trees, and shrubbery. The common local species of this genus is Hololena adnexa. This project is an attempt to document some of the morphology of a member of this group using Scanning Electron Microscopy, as many of the interesting morphological characters are difficult, if not impossible, to deal with practically using other imaging techniques. Such data can be helpful in developing a phylogenetic hypothesis of the relationships between the species in a group, which is something that has not yet been attempted for this genus. As members of this group have been used in studies of toxins and silks, it is of interest to develop a systematic treatment of them which documents their morphology. The grass spiders (family Agelenidae) are common spiders throughout North America and Europe, and the genus Hololena is a group endemic to the Western U.S. ![]() Scanning Electron Microscopy of the grass spider Hololena adnexa Introduction Scanning Electron Microscopy of the grass spider Hololena adnexa ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |