Filmed in Minas Gerais in southern Brazil, these spiders are Parawixia bistriata, a rare 'social' spider that works together to build giant, fine webs up high. And contrary to how it might look, don't worry, they're not actually raining down from above.
In reality, they aren't falling at all. The spiders, which likely belong to a South American species called Parawixia bistriata, are merely crawling on an ultra-fine and nearly invisible web that attaches to two objects, like trees or bushes, to form a canopy. So why do they do it? To catch prey, naturally.
In 2013, the same phenomenon made international headlines when residents of Santo Antônio da Platina in southern Brazil registered “raining spiders” around telephone poles.
“Spider rain” happens when large groups of arachnids migrate all at once, using a technique called “ballooning.” According to a 2001 study in the Journal of Arachnology, the spiders will spin out dozens of silk strands at once so that they fan out and form a triangular parachute, allowing the clever critters to catch a ...
That is quite the sight, but picture this — millions of tiny spiders raining from the sky. While it can sound like something out of a horror movie, in Australia the transition from late summer to fall can trigger what is known to the locals as spider season.
In Australia they are only found in the southeastern part of the country, from South Australia to Queensland via Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. You won't find them in the dry and arid zones. On the other hand, huntsman and wolf-spiders are found all over the country.
Rain spiders
This docile spider feeds on insects and small vertebrates. Their bites cause a mild pain similar to a bee sting and may be itchy for a while. It's not needed to visit a doctor.
Scientists have discovered that the "modern" spider has been in existence for longer than the dinosaurs.
Emergence of true spiders
The oldest reported spiders date to the Carboniferous Period, or about 300 million years ago.
Filmed in Minas Gerais in southern Brazil, these spiders are Parawixia bistriata, a rare 'social' spider that works together to build giant, fine webs up high. And contrary to how it might look, don't worry, they're not actually raining down from above.
Hatchlings of the Joro spider (Trichonephila clavata) take to the air using self-made parachutes, silken webs spun to catch air currents and float to whatever distant earthbound destination they'll eventually call home.
They are fairly large spiders with very distinct colouration, especially on their underside. Rain spiders (as they are known in South Africa) take their name from the fact that they are most often found inside our homes before it starts to rain.
Arachnids from all over the world could be at risk of extinction because of the exotic pet trade. Researchers have warned that spiders, scorpions and their relatives are at risk from uncontrolled collecting from the wild, and that some species might go extinct before they are scientifically described.
The Mongolarachne are an extinct genus of giant spiders that existed during the Jurassic period. To date, only two fossilised specimens have been discovered, the previously named Nephila jurassica specimen, which is an adult female, and the Mongolarachne jurassica male.
The world's largest known spider is a male goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa blondi) collected by members of the Pablo San Martin Expedition at Rio Cavro, Venezuela in April 1965. It had a record leg-span of 28 cm (11 in) - sufficient to cover a dinner plate.
“If spiders disappeared, we would face famine,” says Platnick, who studies arachnids at New York's American Museum of Natural History, where a live spider exhibit debuted last month. “Spiders are primary controllers of insects. Without spiders, all of our crops would be consumed by those pests.”
Geographic Region. Spiders are found throughout the world, on every continent except Antarctica.
For the first time ever, a group of researchers has sequenced the genome of the spider. This knowledge provides a much more qualified basis for studying features of the spider. It also shows that humans share certain genomic similarities with spiders.
There is no scientific evidence that killing spiders causes it to rain.
Leg loss is a common phenomenon in spiders, and according to the species 5% to 40% of the adults can present at least one missing leg. There is no possibility of regeneration after adult moult and the animal must manage with its missing appendages until its death.
New research published in PLOS Biology found that adult spiders seem to forget how to behave with each other after being alone too long, which causes them to become aggressive. Baby spiders like to mingle, but adult spiders tend to eat each other.
The Australian funnel-web spiders are among the deadliest spiders in the world in the effect their bites have on humans and our primate relations (although the bite has little effect on dogs and cats). There are many species of funnel-web spiders in Australia but only male Sydney Funnel-webs have caused human deaths.
An estimated 5 per cent of Australians have arachnophobia, but there are plenty of others happy to get close to the creepy crawlies. "People find it thrilling," said Catherine Timbrell, the producer of a major exhibition on spiders opening on Saturday at the Australian Museum.
Are spiders afraid of humans? Yes. This is why spiders are most commonly encountered in seldom used areas such as garages, attics, basements, closets, or guest rooms. Spiders are antisocial and try their best to avoid human contact.