Wave of tarantulas soon to appear in Colorado by the thousands (Denver: house, university)

[Vision67]

https://gazette.com/life/wave-of-tar...c903349f4.html

"Campers beware! It's about to be much more important to zip up your tent. The annual tarantula migration around Colorado is set to begin at the end of August as thousands of male tarantulas hit the road in search of a mate.

According to an article published by Colorado State University, the tarantula migration typically starts in southeastern Colorado at the end of August, lasting through September. It is followed by a southwestern migration that typically peaks in October. Following the mating season, all males typically die within months if the cold weather doesn't kill them first.

According to The Denver Channel, one of the best places to see these tarantulas is at Comanche National Grassland near La Junta, Colorado. This is located in southeast Colorado, so expect a mid-September peak.

Two more great spots to see this natural phenomenon include just north of Ordway on Highway 71 and between La Junta and Kim on Highway 109, according to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat.

The fall breeding season involves a few different species of tarantulas found Colorado including aphonopelma echinum (nicknamed the Colorado chocolate brown), aphonopelma coloradanum, and aphonopelma hentzi, also known as the Oklahoma Brown Tarantula. These hairy eight-legged critters can grow a leg span of up to 11 inches – that’s nearly twice the length of a dollar bill!

Male spiders wait 10 years to reach sexual maturity. To find a female mating partner hidden in a burrow about a foot underneath the ground, male tarantulas use their hair and legs to detect vibrations. Sadly, they’ll mate once and die, often killed by the female they mate with. Female tarantulas can live up to 20 years or more.

According to a report from the Durango Herald, a male tarantula will wander about a half-mile a day searching for a female mate.

While you shouldn't attempt to touch or grab wild tarantulas you might spot during this time of the year, tarantulas are pretty harmless and rarely bite humans. However, when bites do occur, they're very painful and contain venom. Read about treating a tarantula bite here."

[jim9251]

I can see the bumper stickers on the Subaru's now, WARNING I BRAKE FOR TARANTULAS!

[Therblig]

And the ones on SmartCars, should any remain in Colorado, will read "I brake for AAAAAAAAÁHHHHHH!"

[TCHP]

Waves in an entomological sense is different than what many of us may think is actually happening. Having gone out to witness this wave of spiders, its much more likely you will see them with more regularity than what is normally experienced. You won't see columns of them crossing the roads trying to score with the hidden females.

[NYCresident2014]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Waves in an entomological sense is different than what many of us may think is actually happening. Having gone out to witness this wave of spiders, its much more likely you will see them with more regularity than what is normally experienced. You won't see columns of them crossing the roads trying to score with the hidden females.

Funny- when I imagine a wave of tarantulas, I picture the red crab migration on Christmas Island. It's already pretty gross as red crabs, but as spiders- yikes! Glad to hear it's not the same thing

https://parksaustralia.gov.au/christ...%20and%20spawn.

[Vision67]

Those guy spiders are really stupid.

Would you mate with a female if you knew she would KILL you?

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Waves in an entomological sense is different than what many of us may think is actually happening. Having gone out to witness this wave of spiders, its much more likely you will see them with more regularity than what is normally experienced. You won't see columns of them crossing the roads trying to score with the hidden females.

In most years, your observation is correct. Tarantulas usually don't show up in such numbers that they would qualify as a "wave."

That said, the first time I really became aware of tarantulas in Colorado, there definitely was a plethora of them. In fact, to my disbelieving eyes, they seemed to be out by the ZILLIONS! We had just moved to Durango from Colorado Springs and we went out on a Sunday drive one October afternoon. Somewhere near the Utah line, we noticed that the ground on either side of the road seemed to be moving. Curious, we pulled over the car to see what was going on. It was tarantulas. Tens of tarantulas, twenties of tarantulas, hundreds of tarantulas - or so it seemed.

On another trip, we saw tarantulas all the way from Durango to Taos - also in a good show of numbers. I know that certain animal populations will naturally cycle from many to almost none in numbers - deer and rabbits are good examples of this. I suppose if bunnies can experience periodic population booms, big hairy spiders can too.

There should be a word for a "herd" of tarantulas. Whales travel in pods, wolves and dogs travel in packs. Some other examples from Your Dictionary:

Owls: a parliament

Parrots: a pandemonium

Porcupines: a prickle

Ravens: an unkindness

Rhinoceroses: a crash

Shark: a shiver

Skunk: a stench

They don't list a word for a plethora of tarantulas, however. Perhaps a nightmare of tarantulas?

[Therblig]

A tarantella of tarantulas, if you please.

[Therblig]

Originally Posted by Vision67

Would you mate with a female if you knew she would KILL you?

Well, there's definitely a few who fall into the "but what a way to go" category...

I'm much more put off by that explosion of gypsy moths about June. The dusty little monsters are EVERYWHERE for about a week, and twice now I have had my house fill up with them — dozens on the walls and ceiling, getting in via osmosis, resisting even vacuum-cleaner collection, more or less disappearing at dawn and then being found dead in every window sandwich and behind every piece of furniture for weeks. (Not only is my house well-sealed and screened, but I use an evap cooler which produces a significant outward pressure at all openings. But three times now I've watched these winged demons just... appear all through my house on a summer evening.)

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Therblig

. . .
I'm much more put off by that explosion of gypsy moths about June. . .

FYI, they are Miller moths, not gypsy moths:

‘Miller moth’ is the term given to any type of moth that is abundant in and around homes. In Colorado and much of the Rocky Mountain west, the common ‘miller’ is the adult stage of the army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris. In some years it becomes a serious nuisance pest, particularly during its annual migration from the plains to the mountains in late spring.