Lou Reed Spider Named, Arachnids 'Walk on the Wild Side' (VIDEO)
A new spider has been named after The Velvet Underground's Lou Reed, for its preference of dark quarters.
While usually a social species, not all spiders are all that friendly and the velvet spider is among those who prefer not to stick their head out of the ground much. Mostly living in Europe, velvet spiders are considered to be some of the most attractive spiders in the world.
Rarely encountered due to their habit of living below the surface and far apart from others of their kind, the velvet spider was so named due to a sort of sheen that covers its posterior. Because little is known about the mysterious spider, an international team was developed in order to share information and discoveries.
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The European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy funds the group with the Integrated Research grant. The latest discovery by the group includes what appears to be a genus of Velvet spiders, which was confirmed through DNA testing. The genus was named "Loureedia" after the lead songwriter and guitarist Lou Reed from the Velvet Underground, a fitting name for a spider that likes to burrow itself well below the soil.
The researchers will publish their findings in "ZooKey," an open access journal which can be viewed without a fee. The group hopes that by providing easier access, more will come to know the Lou Reed that lurks around with eight legs, opposed to two.
Some users on the Daily News blog made fun of the spider's new star status.
"Just as cuddly and adorable as the man himself. I can't wait for the Madonna praying mantis or the Lady Gaga vampire bat," ElGatoNYC wrote.
"Perhaps his 'Take a Walk on the Wild Side' was prophetic. All the Arachnid girls go 'chomp, chomp, chomp chompada, da chomp chomp, chompada chomp,'" KCD joked.
