- herrcaptain ( @herrcaptain@lemmy.ca ) English92•4 months ago
The rest of the wikipedia article:
The genus name is derived from Hot Wheels, an American brand of scale model cars. The long coiled embolus of the palpal bulb of this new genus reminded the authors of a looping Hot Wheels track.
The species is named for Sisyphus, a king featured in the Iliad, who is punished by the gods for cheating death. For this, the gods sentenced him to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down. The cyclical nature of his punishment reminded the authors of the circular copulatory tube of the spider.
These dudes are on a whole different level when it comes to naming spiders.
- thesmokingman ( @thesmokingman@programming.dev ) English23•4 months ago
You need pictures to really understand this.
Tap for spoiler
- Melllvar ( @charonn0@startrek.website ) English5•4 months ago
The researchers say they derived the name of its genus, hotwheels, directly from the beloved toy due to the structure of the male spiders’ reproductive organs. […] “Because of the lack of nerves in the palpal bulb, the challenges faced by a male spider attempting to copulate can be likened to those of a person attempting to adjust a complex, delicate mechanism in the dark, using an elongate, elaborately formed fingernail”
- tigeruppercut ( @tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip ) English2•4 months ago
If it’s that complicated how does the species survive?
- Firestorm Druid ( @v4ld1z@lemmy.zip ) English1•4 months ago
thedrive.com you say huh?
- WalrusDragonOnABike [they/them] ( @WalrusDragonOnABike@lemmy.today ) English15•4 months ago
- MummifiedClient5000 ( @MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk ) English6•4 months ago
Give it back, OP!
- flora_explora ( @flora_explora@beehaw.org ) English1•4 months ago
Hahaha lol, thanks for the laugh :)