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L.T. Hanlon

Tag: bridge spider

Kingdom of the Spiders

May 22, 2019May 22, 2019 L.T. HanlonLeave a comment
Silhouette photo of the scary-looking but harmless bridge spider.
L. sclopetarius silhouetted against a highrise window. (Photo by L.T. Hanlon)

Photo is of a typewritten page with the following text. Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Chicago, USA. Smith-Corona Silent-Super. Welcome, my 8-legged friends! As May draws to a close and summer readies its reign, my 54th floor windows once again play host to Larinioides sclopetarius, the common bridge spider that spins webs across Chicago's skyline. These spiders look impressively large as the season grinds on, but they're harmless to humans. In their native habitats, they live on barren cliffs. As man made his mark upon the land, L. sclopetarius took advantage of bridges and other metallic spans and then found comfortable niches in highrise buildings. Bridge spiders mostly keep to themselves. Just once in the two years I’ve been a cliff-dweller has one ventured inside my sky terrace. I used a broom to persuade it to return to the Kingdom of the Spiders. When I read more about these spiders and their ways, however, I felt bad about having done so. The specimen that sought refuge In my apartment was a small one and the species is known to be cannibalistic if sources of its usual prey are unavailable. Most of the time prey is plentiful, so much so that L. sclopetarius can be choosy diners. Often, most of the victims in its webs are still alive, sort of like how lobsters and crabs greet customers of seafood restaurants. Hey, everybody enjoys fresh food.

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