News
Fluorescence in spiders
The eerie glow of some spiders under ultraviolet light can look otherworldly. PSU biologist Susan Mastra recently concluded a novel study of fluorescence in spiders. With student Kindra Andrews and colleague Scott Reed, Mastra discovered that all spiders' blood fluoresces under ultraviolet light, but that only some spiders emit a fluorescent glow. Current work aims to determine whether this luminosity affects interactions with insects and birds, spiders' main prey and predators.
