Bat-eating spiders have now colonised every continent on the planet except Antarctica, a new survey has revealed.
Researchers found 52 incidents of spiders munching on bats, a mammal with few other natural enemies, and believe they are eating far more than previously thought.
While most incidents involved web-building spiders in the tropics and warmer climates, the scientists also reported an ‘attempt by a large fishing spider Dolomedes triton (Pisauridae) to kill a bat pup below a bridge in Indiana’.
In other examples, orb-weaving spiders have been known to block the entrances to bat caves in south-east Asia and the tropics.
Huntsmans and tarantulas, spiders that hunt for their prey rather than waiting for them to fly into a web, have been spotted eating small bats that have fallen to the ground.
In February people in the Brazilian town of Santo Antônio da Platina got a creepy shock when spiders were spotted hanging overhead on electrical lines.
The footage of the critters was posted up on YouTube by web designer Erick Reis and seemed to show a high number of the creatures calmly squatting on spider webs they had made on the power lines.
The 20-year-old told Brazil’s G1 he filmed the strange occurrence on the way home from a friend’s engagement party.
The media outlet confirmed with a local biologist the species of spider was Anelosimus eximius, which are known for congregating in massive colonies.
According to the expert these arachnids work in groups so they catch larger prey.
We’re hoping for the sake of the locals the spiders don’t enjoy humans.
The YouTube video lasts for four minutes and 33 seconds but that may be four minutes and 33 seconds too long for any arachnophobes out there.