Facebook Fake PSA "New Deadly Spider Spreads Across USA"

[Beedrill]

Hey everyone,

A friend sent this to me because I'm kind of my friend group's "bug" expert and they know how much I love critters. It has apparently been floating around Facebook. Unfortunately, this one upset me more than usual. I really hate how people vilify misunderstood animals that they know nothing about for no apparent reason.

I wanted to post this so that if/when any of you are asked by friends and family, you can quickly debunk this stupid fear mongering. I also just kinda wanted to hear some like minded individuals vindicate me. XD

Anyway, Here it is.


As I'm sure most if not all of you know, this is not a new deadly spider. This is a Woodlouse Hunter Spider (Dysdera sp.) While they are not native to the US, I believe they are Mediterranean, they are not new by any means and they certainly aren't dangerous. They specialize in hunting isopods and other similar small prey. They look rather fearsome, but according to verified bite reports, their bite is roughly equivalent to a mosquito bite.

I just hope that people don't start going out of their way to kill these spiders and others with similar appearances just because of foolish stuff like this.

EDIT: Oh and I forgot to mention the death count. Five people in one state in roughly three months?! Fairly certain the last time I looked the number of people who die from spider bites Worldwide yearly is only like 6 or 7. How can they just lie like that? It's just disturbing.

 

[spookyvibes]

What makes it worse is the University of Nebraska watermark on the first image. Makes it look legit to people who don’t know anything about spiders. It really bums me out that people find it necessary to turn these harmless little spiders into monsters.

 

[NYAN]

@LawnShrimp has a theory of its origins.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

I saw one of those a few weeks ago for the first time. I saw a quick glance before it walked right into my jeans on the floor where I was sitting. I had no idea what it was, but I saw the colors and thought I had to get it. They are some of the coolest spiders I have ever encountered, and having a "PSA" where people will go out of their way to kill them is awful...

 

[Greasylake]

One of my friends found it while at my house, asked me if it was true and immediately discredited it when I slammed my hands on a table in frustration...

 

[MintyWood826]

Where did the OP of the fake PSA even get that "information" from?

In the corner it says 1.5 million shares.

 

[The Snark]

LEARN

In the corner it says 1.5 million shares.

Learn. The 1.5 million don't want the truth. They want entertainment. Sensationalism. Demagogues spewing fanciful rhetoric are much preferred over professors in classrooms.
Learn from these people. The perils of ignorance. People that are quite willing to deny our planet is getting fried. 'Don't tell us that! Entertain us!' Over on Youtube there is a large contingent of people who are claiming jet aircraft can run on air alone once air born. Fantasies and fairy tales will always get the front row seats.

Your mind can be the most powerful force in the universe. It can walk among the stars. The sheeples out there are legion. Don't hand the controls over to the idiot squads.
If you aren't filling your mind with facts, there is always somebody out there more than happy to fill your mind with fiction. Think. Discern. Learn.

Now will somebody please make a posting on Facebook just like that one. Pictures and all. Show a spider crawling on a baby. 20 deaths per year! In every state in the US and Europe.
Don't forget to neatly and sedately photoshop a 5th pair of legs on the spider, or better, antenna.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Ah ah, here in Italy is a native one, this specie lives almost everywhere, here... someone even attempted a breeding

https://forum.aracnofilia.org/topic/13613-accoppiamento-dysdera-sp/

This one below isn't a breeding, but pure, finest, spider porn

 

[The Snark]

BTW, Facebook has numerous pages pointing out that is a fake.

 

[SonsofArachne]

Ah ah, here in Italy is a native one, this specie lives almost everywhere, here... someone even attempted a breeding

https://forum.aracnofilia.org/topic/13613-accoppiamento-dysdera-sp/

This one below isn't a breeding, but pure, finest, spider porn

OMG! how do people survive over there with these deadly monsters running rampant?

 

[Torech Ungol]

"Facebook" and "PSA" in the same sentence render the word "Fake" redundant. Unfortunately, the people who will believe one of these will go on believing it, regardless of what you say or how you correct them.

 

[NYAN]

OMG! how do people survive over there with these deadly monsters running rampant?

I hear eating pasta makes you immune.

 

[draconisj4]

Three of my friends posted that to my facebook page,lol. I immediately set them straight in no uncertain terms.

 

[spookyvibes]

I hear eating pasta makes you immune.

Ahh, I knew my love for pasta would pay off one of these days

 

[Bob12345]

I have been bitten by woodlouse hunters twice and it doesn't even really hurt. First it burns a little but mainly it's just really itchy. It's worse than a mosquito bite because it's that burning itchy sensation but a bee sting is definitely more painful.

 

[Smokehound714]

they also rarely ever harm one-another. encounters result in ritualistic wrestling bouts that seldom result in injury, probably because their fangs are so huge that real fights would kill both of em

 

[Beedrill]

they also rarely ever harm one-another. encounters result in ritualistic wrestling bouts that seldom result in injury, probably because their fangs are so huge that real fights would kill both of em

Oh that's interesting! I wouldn't mind keeping them if I ever ran across them again.

 

[Smokehound714]

Oh that's interesting! I wouldn't mind keeping them if I ever ran across them again.

I had a big ole colony of em for a while, so long as they have enough room they get along just fine. they do grow quite slowly though, takes about 2-3 years to get sexually mature

 

[Beedrill]

I had a big ole colony of em for a while, so long as they have enough room they get along just fine. they do grow quite slowly though, takes about 2-3 years to get sexually mature

Wow that sounds really cool! I'm surprised they aren't more popular. I don't know of anyone who breeds or sells them.

 

[Smokehound714]

Wow that sounds really cool! I'm surprised they aren't more popular. I don't know of anyone who breeds or sells them.

they're literally anywhere you see rollie pollies or other woodlice, for that reason they're seldom sold, ive only seen them a few times being offered