Smithsonian looked at the recent startling video of a "spider rain" west of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Thousands of spiders can be seen moving up and down their Webs hanging from telephone wires and floating through the air.
According to biologist Marta Fischer of the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, however, the phenomenon is not so strange. "This type of spider is known to be quite social," she said. "They are usually in trees during the day and in the late afternoon and early evening construct sort of giant sheets of webs, in order to trap insects…"
If strong winds come along, the web may detach from its anchors, carrying the spiders and their ruined home to new sites where they appear to "rain down." Catching rides on the wind–en mass–was likely what happened in Santo Antonio da Platina.
It's Raining Spiders in Brazil
