An interesting update regarding the brown widow that we discovered in our backyard.
The resident entomologist at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum has requested that we send them the brown widow so they can further examine it. Supposedly, they’re still rather rare in the area. I realize that most of you probably don’t care much about the fate of a spider, and, I have to admit, I’m not particularly fond of spider either; however, I’m interested in how species travel and create genetic diversity. This stowaway (or direct relatives) came from the south of Florida, thousands of miles away, by hitching a ride on a piece of fruit. There were enough in California to start breeding. In this age of easy travel, it makes one ponder the spread of other animals and potentially harmful diseases or bacteria. Examples: Africanized bees (traveled from Brazil to California!) and West Nile Virus
