World's oldest spider dies aged 43 [View all]
The world’s oldest known spider has died at the age of 43, outliving its nearest rival by 15 years, Australian scientists have reported.
Previously the oldest known spider was a tarantula in Mexico, which died at the age of 28.
Affectionately known as “Number 16”, the female Giaus Villosus or trapdoor spider ... is believed to have survived for so long by sticking to one protected burrow its entire life and expending the minimum of energy.
While trapdoor spiders are poisonous, it is the males, who leave their burrows to find a mate, which are usually encountered by humans.
The trapdoor species typically take five to seven years to mature and will then invest their energies in a single burrow, with the females rarely venturing more than a few metres away from their place of birth.
Ms Mason said of the Number 16’s death:
“We’re really miserable about it.
“We were hoping she could have made it to 50 years old.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/27/farewell-no-16-scientists-left-miserable-worlds-oldest-spider/
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