Overview

• Tens of thousands of male tarantulas have surfaced this week in South Texas grasslands and deserts at the onset of fall mating migrations.
• Researchers from California State Parks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and conservation groups are mapping emerging hotspots across 15 midwestern and western states.
• After first seasonal rains and persistent warmth, mostly nocturnal males traverse roads and scrublands at night to locate female burrows.
• Experts advise residents to admire the spiders from a safe distance since they can flick barbed hairs or deliver a bee-like bite if provoked.
• Male tarantulas may roam up to a mile in their search for mates while females stay underground, and the 29 U.S. species play a vital role in controlling insect populations.