How Big Was It?

New spider discovered

Okay, you arachnophobes, prepare to be freaked out.

An article in Smithsonian magazine reports on a new species of spider recently discovered in Baja Sur, Mexico. And it's the size of a softball! So why had no one spotted a spider 4" across before? Because it lives in isolated mountain caves and is nocturnal. Species that continue to be discovered by research teams seeking to document flora and fauna in remote or rugged areas tend to be reclusive, occupy unique niches, and/or are quite rare.

I chose to share this news for several reasons. First, ecosystems are more complex than we think -- or can think -- and comprised of myriad species functioning in concert. "The first law of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts," is an insightful quote from Aldo Leopold, a 20th Century luminary of wildlife and wildland conservation. We simply cannot fully understand the vital roles of species -- no matter how large or small -- until a species is extinct, either biologically (snuffed from our planet) or functionally.

Secondly, when a species is discovered that is determined to have a small population and/or geographic distribution, scientists generally can't determine why that's so. In other words, were its demographics always such, or have its fortunes for flourishing on Earth declined due to natural forces or anthropogenic challenges to its viability? We do know that the current rate of species extinction is unmatched over the past 66 million years. That's when the Chicxulub asteroid slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula and sparked the extinction of an estimated three-fourths of all Earth's lifeforms, notably including the dinosaurs (except birds). The ongoing modern extinction crisis is largely caused by human activities.

Spiders are among the most abundant invertebrates on the planet. They live almost everywhere on the land. I've seen them on mountaintops, including on glaciers. And their ecological roles are critical to ecosystem health. As a group, spiders eat more insects annually, notably ones that humans consider pests (think flies, for example), than any other taxa of carnivores. They're one of nature's checks on insect abundance. In turn, other wild species eat them. Hummingbirds and other birds use their web silk to build their nests.

The next time you find a spider clinging to your bathroom wall or skittering across the floor, you might consider that the Earth is their home too, and they play a big part in shaping this special place we share with 9-10 million other species.

Sure, I'd rather see them outdoors than in my house, but most want nothing to do with us. Why not return them to the lawn or garden to do their jobs? Okay, I know what you're thinking. I too might hesitate to capture one the size of a softball. A very good reason not to live in a remote cave in Baja.