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World’s oldest spider dies

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Scientists in Australia say the world’s oldest-known spider has died — from a wasp sting.

The spider, known as Number 16, passed away at 43. The previous record-holder, a Mexican tarantula, died aged 28.

“We’re really miserable about it,” Leanda Mason, the study’s lead scientist said. “We were hoping she could have made it to 50 years old.”

The female trapdoor spider was born in 1974 and had been under observation in the wild ever since.

Female trapdoor spiders stay in and around the same burrow virtually all their lives, so the researchers marked her location and went back to check on it regularly.

55 Responses

  1. I am so upset!
    Such a shame.
    I love Spiders, and she is awesome getting to 43!

  2. roses are red
    violets are blue
    the spider is dead
    be glad its not you

  3. Hmm, it’d be interesting if the spider dodged the wasp sting. It could’ve been much older.

  4. Spiders are not my favourite animal but it’s weird for a spider to live that long

  5. this is really sad about the spider but it is really scary is well anyway how did the spider die from a wasp sting?

  6. so they wanted the spider to live longer? wouldn’t that just be sad let it die when it wants.

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