Brazil - social spiders

mazzy50 · 10/02/13 - 10:58

Have any other FMs heard of these 'social spiders' who build sheet webs? They have traditionally lived in forested areas, but I suppose as human development has expanded, they have moved into those areas.

This article has some film footage of huge web sheets built between telegraph poles and populated by significant numbers of pretty hefty looking spiders.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/an-arachnophobes-worst-nightmare-its-raining-spiders-in-brazil-8488201.html

I don't think I could stay in an area with those webs around - would it bother other FMs?

Voynich · 10/02/13 - 11:42

*runs shrieking from the thread*

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 11:45

:eek:

Takae · 10/02/13 - 11:45

I pity all phone engineers who would have to climb up those poles.

I wouldn't live in areas with that around. The idea of walking into a web in the dark fills me with dread.

jrmswfc · 10/02/13 - 11:45

Whats their prey, Nissan Micras?

agrainofsand · 10/02/13 - 11:48

Spiders are evil. This just proves it.

Kind of reminds of the John Wyndham novel Web.

Crimsonmon · 10/02/13 - 11:58

Hopefully they start eating the "social butterflies" and I never have to hear that annoying term ever again.

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 12:00

mazzy50 wrote: »

Have any other FMs heard of these 'social spiders' who build sheet webs? They have traditionally lived in forested areas, but I suppose as human development has expanded, they have moved into those areas.

This article has some film footage of huge web sheets built between telegraph poles and populated by significant numbers of pretty hefty looking spiders.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/an-arachnophobes-worst-nightmare-its-raining-spiders-in-brazil-8488201.html

I don't think I could stay in an area with those webs around - would it bother other FMs?

I bet they don't have teh same problem with flies, mossies and other winged insects that other subtropical and tropical countries face though! as one spider probibly eats quite a number of flying insects per day the population af winged insects must be reduced substantually by these spiders, they don't seem to be hunting people or anything do they?

Madridista23 · 10/02/13 - 12:09

mazzy50 wrote: »

Have any other FMs heard of these 'social spiders' who build sheet webs? They have traditionally lived in forested areas, but I suppose as human development has expanded, they have moved into those areas.

This article has some film footage of huge web sheets built between telegraph poles and populated by significant numbers of pretty hefty looking spiders.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/an-arachnophobes-worst-nightmare-its-raining-spiders-in-brazil-8488201.html

I don't think I could stay in an area with those webs around - would it bother other FMs?

Yes, documented many times on Nat. Geo. and Animal Planet. :cool:

O'Neill · 10/02/13 - 12:33

I've kept an Indian species of social spider, not Poecilotheria either, the proper social species, but they were quite difficult to keep.

Eddie Badger · 10/02/13 - 12:34

if those are the social spiders, I'd hate to see the anti-social ones :eek:

mazzy50 · 10/02/13 - 12:39

Takae wrote: »

I pity all phone engineers who would have to climb up those poles.

I wouldn't live in areas with that around. The idea of walking into a web in the dark fills me with dread.

Indeed.

I wouldn't say I was an out and out arachnophobe, but my hysteria is directly proportional to the size and bulkiness of the spider. As for hundreds of beefy horrors like this dangling from huge webs - if they moved into my town I think my initial response would be to consider moving away.

mazzy50 · 10/02/13 - 12:42

VOICEINTHENIGHT wrote: »

I bet they don't have teh same problem with flies, mossies and other winged insects that other subtropical and tropical countries face though! as one spider probibly eats quite a number of flying insects per day the population af winged insects must be reduced substantually by these spiders, they don't seem to be hunting people or anything do they?

No - but for those of us who hate the idea of having even one spider crawling around on them and dislike the feeling of webs, they don't have to be intent on hunting us!

21stCenturyBoy · 10/02/13 - 13:13

I pride myself on not being scared of spiders, but God that's a terrifying prospect!

I'd never, ever leave my window open again!

Deb Arkle · 10/02/13 - 13:14

agrainofsand wrote: »

Spiders are evil. This just proves it.

Kind of reminds of the John Wyndham novel Web.

I love that book!

exlordlucan · 10/02/13 - 13:41

A large flock of social birds would love to stumble on them.

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 13:44

I saw that on Liveleak on Friday. I showed it to one of my mates, a six foot, built like an outhouse ex Royal Marine and his reaction was "F*** THAT!".

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 13:50

I dunno what they did to make them look big like that, as they're only little things. To be honest it's not all that common to see them.

dee123 · 10/02/13 - 13:52

Voynich wrote: »

*runs shrieking from the thread*

Yes indeed. I DO NOT :mad: like spiders ever since i was 11 and while sleeping a huntsman crawled onto my face. Obviously i woke up feeling something on my face and well ran around my room trying to get it off.

A couple of it's legs went in my mouth!! I have arachnophobia. I'll admit it.

Fizix · 10/02/13 - 14:41

I struggled to watch the video not because of the spiders but because the guy has a similar approach to filming as my 3 year old. Way too much zooming and waving the camera about.

Anyway, I'm not particularly scared of spiders but don't like them on me and I don't think I'd be keen on them hovering above my head like that.

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 15:30

Yes, I definitely wouldn't be able to live anywhere where this might be a regular thing. While I respect them enormously for eating all the pesky flies, there is no way I could cope with that going on overhead.

Uk Ltd · 10/02/13 - 16:22

I remember being driven through Indonesia and seeing these HUGE spiders up on the telegraph poles, the legspan on them was incredible.

Below them, children played by the road barefoot.

Always sticks in my head, my lot crap themselves if they find a spider of any size in the house. Not been too bad this winter though.

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 16:34

I despise spiders, I am on edge just reading the thread.

[Deleted User] · 10/02/13 - 16:57

Never. Visiting. Brazil.

Hey there!

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