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Shocking: The Biological Role of Static – And The Memory of Webs I Have Known

In former days I would have had rather much to say about this very interesting article on the role of static electricity in the lives of our smaller fellow travelers in the organic world.

Insects are peppered with pollen passively and spider webs pull their victims in by static cling. Amazing.

The Secret Electrostatic World of Insects

And I remembered how very many web pictures I took on Goose Creek in 20 years. There were some fine mornings wading wet to my belt in the tall meadow grass just across the creek.

Even the “gossamer spiders” I was amazed to see so long ago are assisted at launch by electrical fields.

Often, Tsuga, the yellow lab, would help me by blundering through the webs just ahead of me. I thanked him profusely.
Bowl and Doily spider web

I have been fortunate to have lived with the natural world in square miles just outside my door. Now I have carpet. And so it goes.

– Fred First is an author, naturalist, photographer watching Nature under siege since the first Earth Day. Cautiously hopeful. Writing to think it through. Thanks for joining me. Subscribe to My Substack HERE

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