Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging. .

Have you ever heard of a spider that spits at predators as a defence mechanism? Haven’t you ever wondered how ants find their way back to their nest after venturing out? Well, most people haven’t and don’t bother. Insects and spiders are everywhere around us, but we often ignore them, brushing them aside as irritating pests. I used to be that way too until a teacher from my school showed me how little I knew about arthropods.

It was serendipity that allowed me to take on a research project under her, a former researcher, and I was introduced to the wonders of entomology. I got intrigued, realizing that there is so much to learn from the creatures that are often seen but rarely heard.

It was on an outfield trip that I learnt about the Misumenops nepenthicola. A small crab spider 3 mm in length, it adopts the pitcher plant as its home. We know that pitcher plants trap insects by secreting digestive juices in their fluid after they have slipped in, but how does the crab spider stay in such a harsh environment, and what allows it to do so?

Inspired, we decided to investigate more about this spider as part of our research project. We went outfield, did experiments, and managed some findings, but these only served to put more questions rather than answers into my head. Why is the spider found exclusively in 1 species of pitcher plants (native to SE Asia), but not in other pitchers or plants? What is this chemical that it secretes to protect itself from the acidic environment, and how can we use it to manufacture products that can withstand acidity?

The questions come at a pace greater than the answers do, but it doesn’t stop me from finding out more. Perhaps it is time that little creatures should be seen and heard as well.