https://sputnikglobe.com/20220119/worm-parasite-that-preys-on-spiders-named-after-actor-who-played-spider-killer-in-film-1092375332.html
Worm Parasite That Preys on Spiders Named After Actor Who Played Spider Killer in Film
Worm Parasite That Preys on Spiders Named After Actor Who Played Spider Killer in Film
Sputnik International
Jeff Daniels himself reportedly quipped that in Hollywood “you haven’t really made it until you’ve been recognised by those in the field of parasitology.” 19.01.2022, Sputnik International
2022-01-19T18:57+0000
2022-01-19T18:57+0000
2022-01-19T18:57+0000
science & tech
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American actor Jeff Daniels's name has recently been immortalised thanks to the efforts of scientists who named a parasitical worm – a nematode – after him.According to EurekAlert, the researchers chose Daniels’ name because he starred in 1990 comedy horror film Arachnophobia, in which his character battles an infestation of deadly spiders.The nematode, found by the team after a tarantula breeder asked them to help identify an infection plaguing some of his spiders in 2019, is reportedly one of the only two discovered species of these worms that prey on tarantulas.The worm’s arachnid victims begin exhibiting unusual behavior upon infection, “walking around on tiptoe and not eating,” while the appendages around their mouths stop working.The worms reside in the mouth area of their host, but it's not yet known if they feed on the tarantula itself or on bacteria that live on these spiders.Meanwhile, Daniels himself did not seem upset by the news about a parasite being named after him.
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science & tech, name, parasites, tarantula
science & tech, name, parasites, tarantula
Worm Parasite That Preys on Spiders Named After Actor Who Played Spider Killer in Film
Jeff Daniels himself reportedly quipped that in Hollywood “you haven’t really made it until you’ve been recognised by those in the field of parasitology.”
American actor Jeff Daniels's name has recently been immortalised thanks to the efforts of scientists who named a parasitical worm – a nematode – after him.
According to EurekAlert, the researchers chose Daniels’ name because he starred in 1990 comedy horror film Arachnophobia, in which his character battles an infestation of deadly spiders.
“His character in the film is a spider killer, which is exactly what these nematodes are,” said Adler Dillman, parasitologist at UC Riverside and leader of the team that discovered the nematode in question.
The nematode, found by the team after a tarantula breeder asked them to help identify an infection plaguing some of his spiders in 2019, is reportedly one of the only two discovered species of these worms that prey on tarantulas.
17 December 2021, 11:14 GMT
The worm’s arachnid victims begin exhibiting unusual behavior upon infection, “walking around on tiptoe and not eating,” while the appendages around their mouths stop working.
“It may take months because tarantulas don’t have to eat particularly often. However, if they get this infection, they will die of starvation,” Dillman remarked.
The worms reside in the mouth area of their host, but it's not yet known if they feed on the tarantula itself or on bacteria that live on these spiders.
Meanwhile, Daniels himself did not seem upset by the news about a parasite being named after him.
“When I first heard a new species of nematode had been named after me, I thought, ‘Why? Is there a resemblance?’” he said as quoted by the media outlet. “Honestly, I was honored by their homage to me and Arachnophobia. Made me smile. And of course, in Hollywood, you haven’t really made it until you’ve been recognized by those in the field of parasitology.”
