OF WHAT USE ARE TARANTULAS?

 

 

 OF WHAT USE ARE TARANTULAS?

The ending of The Tarantula (1958 Regents Press of Kansas) by William J. Baerg

Tarantulas, in fact all spiders, are predatory; they are also cannibalistic.  They feed on a variety of animals.  When grasshoppers are abundant, tarantulas feed largely on them.  Grasshoppers are probably the main part of the diet during the latter half of summer and fall.  Beetles, especially June bugs and May beetles, are favorites.  The remains of these are common around tarantula holes.  All of these insects are considered pests.  To the extent that tarantulas feed on such pests, they should be regarded as beneficial – as playing a part in the natural control of insect enemies.

Tarantulas really are a very interesting part of the animal life around us. Living quietly in the ground or under rocks, they cause no damage to the soil, or to plant life; they are in no way a source of annoyance.  In fact, for anybody who has the good fortune of having one or more of them living in the backyard, as several of my colleagues have, tarantulas are good neighbors.  Their longevity, especially that of the females, makes them desirable.  They stay long enough for one to become much attached to them.

When Professor Comstock of Cornell University, an eminent entomologist and a recognized authority on spiders, was asked by a visitor, “What good are spiders?” he seemed at first somewhat baffled; then he explosively replied: “What good are they?  They are damned interesting.”