Hundreds of male tarantulas perish under vehicle tires this time of year as they trek from their foot-deep dens, crawling distances of up to one mile to find females.
, an insect zoo northwest of Denver – exploring research and habitat improvement possibilities, Peulen said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Joe Szuszwalak said federal scientists “are happy to help.” However, if a species isn’t officially designated as threatened or endangered “we’re not going to be the lead agency on it.”
Bug populations worldwide are declining and scientists for years have warned of a looming “insect apocalypse” that threatens a collapse of ecosystems and the ability to grow food. A United Nations assessment in 2019 warned that half a million insect species face extinction, and recent studies have estimated 40% of insect species worldwide are declining., tarantula populations play essential roles knocking back pests, including beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas and caterpillars.
A few males able to escape, breaking a pattern of self-sacrifice, usually die within a couple of months due to colder weather, said Rich Reading, vice president of science and conservation for the Butterfly Pavilion and a member of the Colorado Wildlife Commission. A “very low fence,” bent at the top, easily could funnel tarantulas toward tunnels under highways consisting of concrete culverts already widely in use, said Reading, who reckoned research exploring where crossings would make the most sense would cost less than $60,000.“Tarantulas, because they are a top predator in the invertebrate world, are really important. They help control insect populations. They fit into the food chain. They eat grasshoppers,” Reading said.
Tarantula surveys in Colorado have found healthy densities, as many as 70 spiders within a 2.4-acre area. “We’re trying to understand why we have density in some places and not in others,” Reading said. And Butterfly Pavilion teams are raising funds and considering installation of cameras where tarantulas cross roads.and how brown tarantulas navigate remaining prairie habitat.
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