Habits and Traits of Hobo Spiders (Tegenaria agrestis)

The hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis, is native to Europe, where it is considered harmless. But in North America, where it was introduced, people seem to believe the hobo spider is among the most dangerous creatures we can encounter in our homes. Its time to set the record straight about the hobo spider. Hobo Spider Description The features that distinguish Tegenaria agrestis from other similar-looking spiders are only visible under magnification. Arachnologists identify hobo spiders by examining their genitalia (reproductive organs), chelicerae (mouthparts), setae (body hairs), and eyes with a microscope. Directly stated, you cannot accurately identify a hobo spider by its color, markings, shape, or size, nor can you identify Tegenaria agrestis with the naked eye alone. The hobo spider is generally brown or rust in color, with a chevron or herringbone pattern on the dorsal side of the abdomen. This is not considered a diagnostic trait, however, and cannot be used to identify the species. Hobo spiders are medium in size (up to 15 mm in body length, not including the legs), with females slightly larger than males. Hobo spiders are venomous, but not considered dangerous in their native European range. In North America, hobo spiders have been considered a species of medical concern for the past several decades, although there doesnt seem to be any scientific evidence to support such an assertion about Tegenaria agrestis. No studies have proven that hobo spider venom causes necrosis of the skin in humans, as is often claimed. In fact, there has only been one documented case of a person developing skin necrosis after a hobo spider bite, and that patient had other medical issues also known to cause necrosis. Additionally, spider bites are extremely rare, and hobo spiders are no more inclined to bite a human than any other spider you might encounter. Think You Found a Hobo Spider? If you are concerned that you may have found a hobo spider in your home, there are a few things you can observe  to be sure your mystery spider is not a hobo spider. First, hobo spiders never have dark bands on their legs. Second, hobo spiders dont have two dark stripes on the cephalothorax. And third, if your spider has a shiny orange cephalothorax and smooth, shiny legs, it is not a hobo spider. Classification Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass – ArachnidaOrder – AraneaeFamily – AgelenidaeGenus – TegenariaSpecies - agrestis Diet Hobo spiders hunt other arthropods, primarily insects but sometimes other spiders. Life Cycle The hobo spider life cycle is believed to live  as long as three years in inland areas of North America, but just one year in coastal areas. Adult hobo spiders usually die in the fall after reproducing, but some adult females will overwinter. Hobo spiders reach adulthood and sexual maturity in the summer. Males wander in search of mates. When he finds a female in her web, the male hobo spider will approach her with caution so hes not mistaken as prey. He knocks at the funnel entrance by tapping a pattern on her web, and retreats and advances several times until she seems receptive. To finish his courtship of her, the male will add silk to her web. In early fall, mated females produce up to four egg sacs of up to 100 eggs each. The mother hobo spider attaches each egg sac to the underside of an object or surface. The spiderlings emerge the following spring. Special Behaviors and Defenses Hobo spiders belong to the family Agelenidae, known as the funnel-web spiders or funnel weavers. They construct horizontal webs with a funnel-shaped retreat, usually to one side, but sometimes in the center of the web. Hobo spiders tend to stay on or near the ground and wait for prey from within the safety of their silk retreats. Habitat Hobo spiders typically inhabit wood piles, landscape beds, and similar areas where they can construct their webs. When found near structures, theyre often seen in basement window wells or other darker, protected areas near the foundation. Hobo spiders dont usually live indoors, but occasionally make their way into peoples home. Look for them in the darkest corners of the basement, or along the perimeter of the basement floor. Range The hobo spider is native to Europe. In North America, Tenegaria agrestis is well-established in the Pacific Northwest, as well as parts of Utah, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia. Other Common Names Some people call this species the aggressive house spider, but there is no truth to this characterization. Hobo spiders are quite docile, and only bite if provoked or cornered. Its believed that someone christened the spider with this misnomer, thinking the scientific name agrestis meant aggressive, and the name stuck. In fact, the name agrestis comes from the Latin for rural. Its also worth noting that an August 2013 analysis of European funnel-web spiders reclassified the hobo spider as Eratigena agrestis. But because this is not yet widely used, weve chosen to use the previous scientific name Tenegaria agrestis for the time being. Sources Vetter, Rick L, and Art Antonelli. How to Identify (and Misidentify) the Hobo Spider. UC Riverside and Washington State University.Hobo Spider.  UC IPM Online,  May 2006.Hobo Spiders (Tenegaria agrestis). Utah State University Extension.Myth: How to Recognize Hobo Spiders.  Burke Museum.Mullen, Gary R, and Lance A. Durden.  Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2009.Russell, Richard C, Domenico Otranto, and Richard L. Wall.  The Encyclopedia of Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Wallingford: CABI, 2013.Family Agelenidae - Funnel Weavers. BugGuide.Net.

Brave New World Embrace Misfits - 1407 Words

Embrace misfits? People in todays society tend to be normal and have a place to fit into our society. However, there are those who are abnormal and do not fit. In todays social order, it is normal for those who fit and those who do not fit to co-exist. In the novel Brave New World, those who do not fit are cast out onto an island far away from civilization. Those who are cast out are referred to as misfits. Looking at Aldous Huxleys novel Brave New World as a guide, should we embrace or shun the misfits in our own world? When a world is manipulated it is insufficient and flawed since those who have created it are imperfect. There are different types of misfits in the book Brave New World. They represent and†¦show more content†¦Her room mate Fanny remarks They say somebody made a mistake when he was still in the bottle Ââ€" thought he was a gamma and put alcohol into his blood-surrogate. Thats why hes so stunted.(Huxley 46) Bernard must deal with the defect of not being proper height. This causes him to have less sex and be mocked by other citizens who fit in. Bernard becomes a rebel when he thinks against the order of the world state. When the Character refuses to take the soma, he is overwhelmed with bad feelings and a sense of self-consciousness that restricts his performance in the world state. Secondly, another physical outcast in Brave New World is Linda, a beta female who gets pregnant and forgotten about in a reservation. On the reservation, she had become old and unpleasantly overweight. When she returns to the world state students are frightened and disgusted by her. When her physical appearance causes her a sense of unhappiness she takes an over dose amount of soma and kills herself. Thirdly, her child John, kills himself in the end of the novel. He is also a misfit due to his natural birth. When he lives on the reservation, he is an outcast because he is not of the aboriginal race. In hopes that he will be accepted into the world state John says Oh brave new world that has such people in it. Lets start at once(Huxley 141). John believes that in the world state he will find hisShow MoreRelatedMary and Max9879 Words   |  40 PagesHer father is distant and her alcoholic, kleptomaniac mother provides no support. The closest thing she has to a friend is the man for whom Mary collects mail, Len Hislop, a World War II veteran who lost his legs as a prisoner of war and has developed agoraphobia. One day, she decides to write a letter to someone living in New York City: by pure chance she chooses Max Jerry Horowitz (Philip Seymour Hoffman) from a telephone directory. Max turns out to be a morbidly obese 44-year-old whose variousRead MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 PagesMarriott School, Brigham Young University. He is widely published in strategy and business journals and was the fourth most cited management scholar from 1996–2006. is a professor of leadership at INSEAD. He consults to organizations around the world on innovation, globalization, and transformation and has published extensively in leading academic and business journals. is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the architect of andRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins —San Diego State University Timothy A. Judge —University of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesorder to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Editor in Chief: Eric Svendsen

The Business Enterprise Trust DO MOTOROLA Free Essays

The Business Enterprise Trust DO MOTOROLA (A) T he vote was eleven to one and Robert Galvin stood alone. It was 1979 and Galvin, the CEO and President of electronics giant Motorola, had just proposed to his Board of Directors that the firm make an extraordinary commitment to training its workers — from executives to shop floor employees. He recommended establishing a department devoted to educating employees with one major goal: improving product quality. We will write a custom essay sample on The Business Enterprise Trust DO MOTOROLA or any similar topic only for you Order Now Galvin had made the proposal in response to the rapid change and increasing competitiveness that engulfed the electronics industry in the late 1970s. The rate of innovation was staggering; most technical knowledge became obsolete within five years. International firms, most notably from Japan, were emerging as formidable competitors to U. S. companies such as Motorola. But the Motorola Board, concerned with the time and financial resources such training would require, was not swayed by Galvin’s arguments. With Motorola still competitive in the industry and budgets tight, the other eleven Directors all voted against the expansion in training. As Chairman, Galvin knew he had the power to overturn the Board’s decision. Training was something he felt strongly about, but was this a battle worth fighting? T NO This case was researched by Stephanie Weiss and written by Matt Kelemen, under the supervision of Kathleen A. Meyer, executive director of The Business Enterprise Trust. 9-996-051 CO PY Motorola In 1979, Motorola was one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electronic equipment and components with $2. 7 billion in sales (Exhibit 1: 1979 Earnings Statement). The company designed, manufactured and sold products ranging from semiconductors to stereo tape players. Copyright  © 1997 by The Business Enterprise Trust. The Business Enterprise Trust is a national non-profit organization that honors exemplary acts of courage, integrity and social vision in business. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise – without the permission of The Business Enterprise Trust. Please call (415) 321-5100 or write The Business Enterprise Trust, 204 Junipero Serra Blvd. , Stanford, CA 94305. Harvard Business School Publishing is the exclusive distributor of this publication. To order copies or to request permission to photocopy, please call (800) 545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Customer Service Dept. , 60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163. Motorola (A) 9-996-051 immortal words of Neil Armstrong — â€Å"That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. † The younger Galvin’s approach to Motorola’s growth mirrored that of his father. Always trying to anticipate change in the industry, Robert Galvin believed that the company’s employees were its biggest asset. Well before the Japanese concept of â€Å"teaming† was in vogue in other American ompanies, Galvin put teams of employees in charge of their own work, requiring them to monitor productivity, service and costs, and then rewarding them for improvements. Motorola was one of the first large U. S. manufacturing companies to give employees significant leadership responsibility. In so doing, it abandoned the classic, hierarchical fac tory organization. Managers encouraged openness and participation on the shop floor. Motorola invested heavily in research and development and gave workers the responsibility to fix problems as they arose. As Motorolan Orhan Karaali, Senior Staff Engineer, explained: DO Employer to over 75,000 â€Å"Motorolans,† the company operated 27 major facilities around the globe. The multinational powerhouse had been created a half-century earlier as Galvin Manufacturing, a start-up battery business that Paul Galvin and his brother Joseph launched in Schaumburg, Illinois in 1928. By 1930, the team had made their first breakthrough developing affordable car radios. Over the next 25 years, Paul led the company into new markets, patenting the first portable two-way FM radio, better known as the walkie-talkie. In 1947, he changed the company’s name to Motorola n recognition of the car radios that remained the flagship product. At the same time, he was envisioning new frontiers, initiating semiconductor research long before Motorola’s competitors realized their importance. While bolstering the product line, Paul Galvin also nurtured an â€Å"industrial family† within his company. In 1937, six years before Galvin Manufacturing’s first public stock offering (at $8. 50 per share), the founder offered factory workers the chance to buy company stock. Galvin even rewarded workers who used their annual bonuses to purchase company stock with an extra stock bonus. He provided good benefits for his employees and looked out for their well-being. The result was a loyal and trusting workforce who saw no need to unionize. In 1956, Paul Galvin turned over the presidency of Motorola to his son Robert. When the elder Galvin died three years later, Robert became CEO, a post he would hold for three decades. Robert Galvin oversaw Motorola’s entry into numerous new businesses, including television, 8-track tapes, remote paging, microprocessors and cellular telephones. Still a pioneer, Motorola developed the first radio pager in 1969, the first television priced nder $200 and technology that made the automobile alternator possible. Under Robert Galvin’s leadership, Motorola’s sales and profits soared as the company became an international leader in the electronics market. As a crowning achievement to the firm’s ascendancy, a Motorola transponder relayed to the world the NO T â€Å"At Motorola, you do whatever is necessary to ge t the job done. Not too many memos flying around. Not too much politics. It is more concentrated on our goals. † CO With this culture firmly established, Galvin focused next on training to give employees the skills nd confidence needed to excel in a participatory environment. PY Corporate Training In the 1970s, most corporate training opportunities were reserved for senior management. Companies tended to use training as a reward for executives who already performed well. These executive education programs, which mimicked MBA programs, typically were contracted out to universities. Using a case-study approach, they focused on management basics like strategy, finance and marketing. Motorola’s training effort at the time was no exception. The Motorola Executive Institute, launched in the late 1960s, sent a handful of ompany executives to an intensive, month-long 2 Motorola (A) 9-996-051 program focused on business administration skills. Ultimately, however, Galvin was disa ppointed with the Institute’s results, as the firm’s practices remained largely unchanged. Galvin realized that these executive training efforts did not â€Å"touch† the whole workforce and did not create a culture of constant change and renewal. He explained: DO â€Å"We realized we had to be competitive one person at a time, counterpart to counterpart, to be the best in our specific function versus anyone else in our business. † T NO Increasing Competition Galvin’s desire to bring competitiveness to each and every employee stemmed from his understanding of the changing nature of the electronics industry. In the 1970s, the industry was growing and diversifying rapidly. New competitors, primarily from Asia, but from European countries as well, were entering the market. Other U. S. companies like Texas Instruments, General Electric and National Semiconductor were all jockeying for a larger share of the increasingly competitive export market. New consumer and communications products were being introduced each year. To compete and prosper in the technology sector, Galvin knew that his workers needed more — and better — training. When Motorola’s Board members voiced their reservations to Galvin’s plan for expanded employee training, Galvin faced a dilemma. If he accepted the Board’s counsel, the company might waste critical resources — both time and money — and fall behind as the pace of technological change increased. If he pushed for investment in training, he might jeopardize Motorola’s short-term performance and competitive position. As both CEO and the largest individual shareholder, the final decision was his alone. PY CO 3 Motorola (A) 9-996-051 Exhibit 1 DO T NO PY CO 4 How to cite The Business Enterprise Trust DO MOTOROLA, Essay examples