Brief blurbs about recent arthropod news and research: - The
blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has been found in England for
the second time ever. These ill-tempered, but delicious,
swimming crabs are native to North America; where they represent
a major marine fishery despite serious conservation concerns.
Previously, blue crabs have turned up in Japan and the
Mediterranean. It is conventionally thought that these crabs
were brought in as larvae in ship ballast water and have since
gained a foothold in their new homes. It is possible that this
blue crab in Cornwall also came over from America in ballast
water, or it could have been carried on ocean currents up from
the Mediterranean population. It is unclear weather this is an
isolated individual or a representative of a new invasive
population. - You will be disappointed to learn that the horny
females I referred to in the title are dung beetles. One usually
associates the growth of horns and antlers with males who use
them to battle for dominance in a social