A note from the Kumamoto International entomology desk: Love those little spiders in your house!
Now is peak season for Hasarius adansoni, known commonly as Adanson’s House Jumper, and “haetori” (ハエトリ, “fly catcher”) in Japanese. They’re the little black guys with white mandibles (the females often have white spots on their abdomens) who currently occupy most every nook in your house, from the living room to the ofuro.
As this article notes: DON’T KILL THEM! They are wonderful animals in many ways:
- They jump really fast - really, and have no qualms about hurling themselves off any height;
- They eat anything that moves, including mites and small roaches, so will keep your house pest-free;
- Though they make small nests for sleeping, they are hunting spiders, so do not make webs;
- The species lives in warm climates around the world and was first identified by some French guy named Adanson in Africa over 200 years ago;
- They’re entertaining to watch on a computer monitor as they chase the cursor around.
Like most hunting spiders, they have an eye atop their head that allows them to distinguish light shading but not to visualize objects, so if you place your finger an inch or so behind one, you can observe as he whirls around to see what it is; they only distinguish between prey and not prey, and as your finger falls in the latter category, it is good fun for all.
Welcome these lil’ guys, and thank them for keeping your home otherwise bug-free. More info with videos at the link. - William
