Spiders

Why you shouldn't worry about invasive Joro spiders

3:01am June 14, 2024

Joro spiders are spreading across the east coast. They are an invasive species that most likely arrived in shipping containers from eastern Asia. Today, we look into why some people find them scary, why to not panic about them and what their trajectory illustrates about the wider issue of invasive species.

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Joro spiders are back in the news. Here's what the experts really think about them

9:00am June 08, 2024

by Associated Press

Joro spiders — invasive, brightly colored, orb-weaving arachnids that have been spreading in the U.S. for the past several years — have captured the public's interest and horror once again. But spider experts say the jury's still out on the impact the spider will have.

An Amazon delivery driver is now Tik Tok famous after a video of him killing a spider for a customer gained over 10 million views on the app.

National

An Amazon Delivery Driver Killed A Spider For A Grateful Customer. There's A Video

7:59pm July 15, 2021

by Josie Fischels

Terrified of the "huge" spider on her porch, a woman used Amazon's special instructions section to ask her delivery driver to kill it. He did, and now she's trying to find him to say "Thank you."

Extreme Weather Making Some Spiders Aggressive

3:55pm August 27, 2019

by Eddie Garcia

Researchers have found that extreme weather events like Hurricanes Florence and Michael have a

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News
Science

Spiders Avoid Foods That Leave A Bad Taste

8:00am April 19, 2019

by Eddie Garcia

Scientists and students at Wake Forest University recently unveiled new research on spiders. It turns out these arachnids have a refined sense of taste.

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Spiders can fly long distances by releasing long strands of silk, which get picked up by the wind.

Science

When Spiders Go Airborne, It's Electric — Literally

1:51pm July 05, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Many spiders ply the skies by riding "balloons" of silk. And they rely on something more than just the wind to take them high up and far away.

Science

Fossils In Amber May Provide Link Between Ancient Arachnids And Modern Spiders

6:46pm February 05, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

Two teams of researchers are studying tailed spiders captured and preserved about 100 million years ago, which could provide evidence of the species' evolution.

A recluse spider bite (left) can be confused with skin cancer.

Is That A Brown Recluse Spider Bite Or Skin Cancer?

5:28pm February 16, 2017

by Jessica Boddy

Skin lesions are often misdiagnosed as a brown recluse spider bite when they're actually a tick bite or MRSA or even skin cancer. Here's how to tell the difference.

Scientists found that Phidippus audax can also "respond to airborne acoustic cues."

A Spider Across The Room Can 'Hear' You, Study Finds

2:56pm October 14, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

"Based on what we know, this shouldn't be happening, but it definitely is," Harvard fellow Paul Shamble says. The researchers' finding changes what we know about how spiders experience the world.

Science

She's A Man-Eater, And That's OK With Male Orb-Weaving Spiders

6:42pm June 01, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Usually in nature, the females choose the males they mate with. But researchers say a type of male orb-weaving spider selects the female — which will cannibalize him afterward.

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