Creature 348: Wuchereria bancrofti

Wuchereria bancrofti is a species roundworms which can parasitise humans.

They are normally transmitted to humans by mosquito. They infect the human lymphatic system and can cause several complications including the condition known as elephantitis in which the limbs swell up and become severely disfigured.

Distribution:
At various stages in history the parasite could be found across most of the human inhabited world, however today it can only be found in third world countries.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Secernentea
Order: Spirurida
Family: Onchocercidae
Genus: Wuchereria
Species: Wuchereria bancrofti 

Image Links:
http://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/lymphaticFilariasis/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuchereria_bancrofti

Creature 347: Powelliphanta

Slimy yet satisfying

Powelliphanta is a genus of carnivorous landsnails known as the New Zealand amber snail.

They love to eat earthworms. They don't just eat them either, they slurp them up like spaghetti.  Watch it here:

Distribution:
The New Zealand amber snails are unsurprisingly endemic to New Zealand. Most species have a very limited geographic range.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Heterobranchia
Family: Rhytididae
Genus: Powelliphanta

Image Links:

http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/invertebrates/powelliphanta-snails/

Video Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xNxQfVNVR8

Creature 346: Anelosimus eximius

It's raining spiders
Anelosimus eximius is a species of colonial spiders.

Much like Tetragnatha guatemalensis they form large colonies which can contain thousands or even tens of thousands of individuals. This behaviour enables them to capture much larger prey items than other spiders of roughly the same size. Colonies can cover several square meters among tree canopies.

Given that a single female can lay dozens of eggs and that there are usually ten females for ever male in a colony, there can often be incredibly large numbers of juveniles hatching in a single colony. The juveniles disperse through the wind, like a lot of spiders and when the juveniles of a large colony hatch it can lead to a situation in which it appears to be raining spiders.

Distribution:
Anelosimus eximius can be found in South and Central America.

Classification:
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneae
Family:Theridiidae
Genus:Anelosimus
Species: Anelosimus eximius

Image Links:

http://imgur.com/gallery/FEEK1

Video Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN9mQk8N5Mo

Creature 345: Arctica islandica

Old food

Arctica islandica is a fairly ordinary looking clam commonly referred to as the ocean quahog.

They are commonly harvested and eaten by humans and are commercially available and you may have eaten them yourself. However while most individuals will be very young, these clams can live hundreds of years. The record was a 507 year old specimen collected near iceland and named Ming because it originated from a time wjen the Ming dynasty was in control of China. It was accidentally killed by scientists on a survey and could possibly have survived a lot longer.

Distribution:
Arctica islandica can be found on the ocean floor of the North Atlantic.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Veneroida
Family: Arcticidae
Genus: Arctica
Species: Arctica islandica

Image Links:

http://www.european-marine-life.org/14/photo-arctica-islandica-wb01.php

Creature 344: Euhaplorchis californiensis

Another mind altering parasite

Euhaplorchis californiensis is a flatworm parasite which has three different hosts.

These flatworms parasitise horn snails then killfish than shorebirds. No individual will see all three hosts in their lifetime, but the hosts all form separate parts of a reproductive cycle.

The horn snail picks up the infection from the droppings of infected shorebirds. Infected snails suffer a severe reduction in their fertility.  The parasites will multiply inside the snail for a few generations until they morph into a more mobile form. At this point they swim out into the marshes and find a killfish host.

They enter the body through the gills and invade the central nervous system of the killfish. They alter the brain chemistry and cause the killfish to behave erratically,  resulting in an infected fish being 30 times more likely to be preyed upon by a shorebird.

They infect the shorebirds gut, releasing the eggs into the feaces, and the cycle continues.

Distribution:
Euhaplorchis californiensis is found in saltwater marshes in Southern California.

Classification:
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Order: Opisthorchiida
Family: Heterophyidae
Genus:Euhaplorchis
Species: Euhaplorchis californiensis

Image Links:

http://telegraf.com.ua/zhizn/zdorove/558633-parazityi-sposobnyie-upravlyat-povedeniem-svoih-hozyaev-fotogalereya.html

Creature 343: Protaeolidiella atra

Nudibranch day

Just another nudibranch for again for you today.

This time it's Protaeolidiella atra, whose bizarre branching appendages form part of its digestive sy

Distribution:

Protaeolidiella atra is found in the Indowest Pacific.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Order: Nudibranchia

Family: Aeolidiidae

Genus: Protaeolidiella

Species: Protaeolidiella atra

Image Links:

http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/protatra

Creature 342: Harrisimemna trisignata

Taking headbutting to a new level.

Harrisimemna trisignata is a moth commonly called Harris' three spot caterpillar or Harris' three spot moth.

The juvenile has found a pretty innovative use for the head from their previous malts. Instead of discarding them like most caterpillars would, they hang onto them and use them as a weapon.

Distribution:
The species is found across the east and center of North America.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Harrisimemna
Species: Harrisimemna trisignata

Image Links:

http://beetleboybioblog.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/top-5-strangest-caterpillars.html

https://featuredcreature.com/meet-the-ugly-caterpillar-that-uses-old-dead-heads-as-weapons-and-cant-tell-its-butt-from-its-head/