oho #3 - The magazine of the Principality of Liechtenstein

HORRID SPIDER? That is certainly not how Holger Frick responds
when he sees a spider. While the hairy eight-legged animals trigger
fear and panic in some people, they exercise a magical attraction over
the 36 year-old from Balzers. “I find it particularly fascinating that spiders
experience the world very differently than we do. While perception
for humans is mainly a visual affair, spiders achieve this through vibrations.”
He also finds it extremely appealing that relatively little is
known about spiders. Although the classic horror stories are regularly
reheated in the media, the very fascinating side of spiders is left unmentioned.
“There are species, for example, where the male dances before
the female during the mating season. Others assume the scent of
female moths, in order to attract males and to capture them with lassos.
Further species have bizarrely shaped heads, reminiscent of elephant
skulls or frog heads, or have protuberances, stalks or horns.” This diversity
fascinates him.
Another aspect of his passion for spiders is scientific, explains Frick:
“Many species have yet to be discovered. The arachnid family tree is
very long, and completely unclear in certain areas.” Holger Frick has
even made a name for himself with his discoveries. In 2009 he became
something of an international celebrity when he discovered a new species
on Alp Flix in Grisons, and christened it the “Zamonic Dwarf Spider”
– named after the fictitious continent of Zamonia in the novels of
Walter Moers. There is no reason why science shouldn’t have a humorous
side, says Frick with a smile. In 2012 he described another previously
unknown species of dwarf spider (Diplocephalus guidoi) in Italy,
and named it after his deceased grandfather, “whose fascination for nature
helped to shape my own outlook.”
To date, no spider has been found that is exclusively indigenous to Liechtenstein.
But with some 550 to 600 species of spider, the small Principality
certainly has a great variety of species. This is because a huge range
of altitudes exist within Liechtenstein’s very compact territory, meaning
that a correspondingly large number of habitats are to be found. The
largest species found in Liechtenstein include the wasp spider, the
cross spider and the raft spider with a body length of around 2
centimetres. The smallest specimens are practically impossible to
see with the naked eye. The body of the dwarf spider Glyphesis
servulus, for example, measures only 1 millimetre. All domestic
spiders produce venom. “But only a small number are able to pierce
human skin. As a rule, the bites are not more dangerous then
wasp stings,” says Frick, reassuringly.
The biologist finds it impossible to imagine a world without spiders,
even if that sounds like paradise for arachnophobes. “Without spiders,
our lives would be very uncomfortable. Like wolves or eagles, they are
high up the food chain. They are amongst the most important predators
in the Northern Hemisphere.” Collectively, the spiders in Liechtenstein,
for example, eat thousands of tons of insects every year. This corresponds
to a layer that would be 10 to 20 centimetres deep,” Frick estimates.
Not a pleasant thought either. Not even for arachnophobes.
The well-known spider researcher and keen comic reader:
Holger Frick from Balzers in Liechtenstein
Yellow spider
Four-spot orb weaver
Wasp spider
Bild: Jean-Jacques Ruchti
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