World's oldest known spider dead at 43

[DavidBrown]

A female Australian trapdoor spider (Giaus villosus) in a long-term study in Australia has kicked the bucket at age 43 years. She is survived by several hundreds or thousands of descendants and the scientists who studied her. The family asks that you be kind to spiders in your life in lieu of sending flowers.

The World's Oldest Known Spider Has Died at Age 43 | Smart News | Smithsonian

 

[Charlie Simmomds]

A female Australian trapdoor spider (Giaus villosus) in a long-term study in Australia has kicked the bucket at age 43 years. She is survived by several hundreds or thousands of descendants and the scientists who studied her. The family asks that you be kind to spiders in your life in lieu of flowers.

The World's Oldest Known Spider Has Died at Age 43 | Smart News | Smithsonian

Part of me wants to say good riddance, as I’m not the biggest spider person at all. However she was a very interesting creature, how one spider could live for that long is truly amazing.

 

[Loxodonta Cobra]

That's amazing. I knew that certain groups of spiders could live to be 20, bu I never knew that any spider could live longer.

 

[ZooBinh]

Part of me wants to say good riddance, as I’m not the biggest spider person at all. However she was a very interesting creature, how one spider could live for that long is truly amazing.

Same.

 

[DavidBrown]

Here is a nice biography of Spider 16 and the scientists who studied her for more than 40 years.

The extraordinary life and death of the world’s oldest known spider