Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1113313
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 MAY 2019 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT On many flowers lives a shiny little jewel known as the red crab spider. Despite its name, the animal comes in col- ours ranging from white, through various shades of yel- low, to orange and red, but always with this symmetrical black pattern on its abdomen that has been compared to Rorschach inkblots, Darth Vader silhouette, Napoleon's tricorn hat, lampshade, etc. Red crab spiders are found on flowers not because they feed on nectar or pollen – like all spiders they are carnivorous – but because that's where their food delivers itself, in the form of flies, bugs and oth- er insects. Unlike web spinners, who build their trap and wait for their prey to get caught, the red crab spider (M. brimba tal-fjuri) lies in ambush under a petal (or a little tent it builds by tying two petals together) and pounces on its victim with open arms. By the way, it's entirely harm- less to people. Text and Photo: Victor Falzon 659. RED CRAB SPIDER Curator's tour of Tas- Silg and Fort Delimara Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 561: Book your seat at: www.foemalta.org/EU2019 NEXT Saturday, Heritage Malta is inviting the public for a tour of the sites of Tas- Silġ and Fort Delimara. Spanning over more than 4000 years, the remains of the temples at Tas-Silġ will take the participants on a journey which covers the majority of the phases of Maltese archae- ology. The site is mostly renowned for the once world-famous temple of Astarte. But what was there before and after this temple was constructed? Fort Delimara is a classic ex- ample of a Victorian coastal fortification built by the Royal Engineers in the 1870s to de- fend the approaches to Mar- saxlokk Harbour. Besides several examples of contemporary military archi- tecture, the fort still houses four of the original six, 38- ton 12.5-inch rifled muzzle- loading guns which are the last surviving examples in the world, still on their carriages in their original casemate em- placements. Tickets are available from all Heritage Malta museums and sites, and online. A maximum of 40 people can attend on first-come-first-served basis. Participants are requested to wear flat sole shoes. Tas-Silġ is a bee-keeping site. Attendees to this tour should refrain from wear- ing perfume, scented oils and shower products and exces- sive sunblock. Attendees are also requested to keep away from the bee-keeping area and not to swat the bees. Curators will be accompa- nying and guiding the group. Transport will be provided between the two sites, leaving from Tas-Silġ and returning back to the site after the visit to Fort Delimara. Participants are to meet at Tas-Silġ Chapel, Triq Deli- mara, Marsaxlokk. The tour starts at 9am and lasts till 1pm. Ticket cost €12 for adults and €10 for members, seniors and students. Tickets for chil- dren cost €8. For further information, vis- it www.heritagemalta.org Fort Delimara The Tas-Silg site in Marsaxlokk