You may have heard the recent news: It rained spiders in Brazil.
On Sunday, February 3, 2013, this occurred when thousands of spiders were seen and recorded “falling from the sky” in the southern Brazilian town of Santo Antônio da Platina.
G1.globo spoke with “a local biologist who identified the spider as Anelosimus eximius — a ‘social spider’ species known for its massive colonies and ‘sheet webs.’ He characterized the phenomenon as ‘normal,’ which [Gawker felt] it most certainly is not.” Source.
Perhaps one reason this identification was made so quickly was the following similar 2002 photo (Source):
Is there a mundane explanation to these recent reports in Brazil of arachnids from the sky?
Sometimes strange phenomena are uncommon but still part of the explainable natural history world.
…as normal as herds of buffalo or flocks of passenger pigeons that took three days to pass a given point.
It might not happen every day, or every year. But animals, well, do stuff.
“known for its massive colonies and ‘sheet webs” might suggest a genesis for an explanation (add unusual wind / tornado scenario etc.)
Glad to see you in a more “relaxed” forum Mr. Coleman.
The “rain” of spiders reminds me of other strange rains of frogs, fish, birds and bits of flesh reported around the world. The “flesh rain” was supposedly caused by flocks of buzzards vomiting their food onto farmlands they passed over. After a tornado passed through Chattanooga, Tennessee a few years ago, it “rained” bits of paper and insulation all across an area in Western North Carolina 200 miles to the Northeast some hours later.
You never really know what may drop in your in yard someday.