A Facebook page established in 2015 by the Council of Agriculture’s Endemic Species Research Institute for amateur spider enthusiasts has proven a success after 15 new species were discovered by members in just one year, the institute said last week.
Of the more than 40,000 species of spiders worldwide, more than 460 are found in Taiwan and contain great variety, including those that spin webs and those that nest, the institute said.
Spiders in Taiwan are found everywhere from forests and cliffs to mountains and streams, it said.
Photo: Wu Hsin-tien, Taipei Times
The most common spiders to enter houses are long-legged white spiders, jumping spiders and so-called “ghost spiders” that stick to webs perched in corners, the institute said.
Spiders thrive through a variety of methods, including attraction of prey through patterns on their bodies and tricking predators by affixing food waste to their webs, the institute said, adding that some spiders even add strange patterns to their webs.
Some spiders are even able to catch prey much larger than themselves, the institute said, citing Nephila pilipes, which can prey on sparrows and bats.
Other species have unique abilities, the institute said, citing a raptor of the Dolomedes genus, which can dive underwater and catch small fish and other spiders.
Contrary to popular belief, more than half of the spiders found in the nation do not spin webs, institute researcher Lo Ying-yuan (羅英元) said, adding that spiders do not arbitrarily attack people.
Most spiders people find in their homes are completely harmless, Lo said, adding that most people have an irrational fear of spiders based on their appearance.
Heteropoda venatoria, a common type of huntsman spider, mostly feeds on cockroaches and other insects, so its discovery in a home means there are many insects present and the home needs to be cleaned, Lo said, adding that a common misconception about the species is that its waste can cause skin ulcers in humans.
While it is true that the majority of spiders produce venom, only 10 to 20 varieties in the world have bites that are fatal to humans, none of which are found in Taiwan, he said.
The most poisonous spiders found in Taiwan are rare Macrothele taiwanensis and Latrodectus mactans, a variety of the black widow, but neither have fatal bites, Lo said, adding that bites from these spiders would cause skin ulcers, dizziness and vomiting that go away within a week.
The institute opened an exhibit on Friday last week to educate the public about spiders found in Taiwan.
Rain is to increase from Wednesday morning as Severe Tropical Storm Kong-Rey approaches, with sea warnings to be issued as early as tomorrow afternoon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. As of 8am, Kong-Rey was 1,050km east-southeast of the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) heading in a northwesterly direction toward Taiwan, CWA Forecast Center Director Lin Po-tung (林伯東) said. Rainfall is to increase from Wednesday morning, especially in northern Taiwan and Yilan County, he said. A sea warning is possible from tomorrow afternoon, while a land warning may be issued on Wednesday morning, he added. Kong-Rey may intensify into a moderate typhoon as it passes
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau’s (劉德華) concert in Taipei tonight has been cancelled due to Typhoon Kong-rei and is to be held at noon on Saturday instead, the concert organizer SuperDome said in a statement this afternoon. Tonight’s concert at Taipei Arena was to be the first of four consecutive nightly performances by Lau in Taipei, but it was called off at the request of Taipei Metro, the operator of the venue, due to the weather, said the organizer. Taipei Metro said the concert was cancelled out of consideration for the audience’s safety. The decision disappointed a number of Lau’s fans who had
Taiwan yesterday issued warnings to four Chinese coast guard vessels that intruded into restricted waters around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA). The four China Coast Guard ships were detected approaching restricted waters south of Kinmen at around 2 pm yesterday, the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu Branch said in a statement. The CGA said it immediately deployed four patrol boats to closely monitor the situation. When the Chinese ships with the hull numbers "14512," "14609," "14603" and "14602" separately entered the restricted waters off Fuhsing islet (復興嶼), Zhaishan (翟山), Sinhu (新湖) and Liaoluo (料羅) at 3 pm, the Taiwanese patrol
A former member of the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), formerly known as SEAL Team 6, said in an interview with Business Insider that the elite unit’s role in a Taiwan Strait conflict would be more limited than some might expect. The report follows an earlier one in September by the Financial Times, which said the “clandestine US Navy commando unit” has been training for missions to help Taiwan if it is invaded by China. “You don’t use a scalpel for a job a hammer can do,” the former Navy Seal said to Business Insider on condition of anonymity.