Armies of Male Tarantulas on the March in San Francisco

choi

Jim Carlton, For the Tarantula, It's Better to Be Loved Than Feared' Warm weather extends their mating season in California; 'Gentle giants.'  Wall Street Journal, Oct 9, 2019 (front page)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/don ... or-love-11570569870
("Warm weather in the San Francisco Bay Area has extended tarantula mating season—a surprisingly public affair [referring to the mating pr mate-searching] * * * The spiders [tarantulas] aren't dangerous to people, in fact it’s the other way around. * * * A sign at the entrance to a trail in Mount Diablo State Park tells visitors: 'Tarantula venom is very mild and won't harm you—unless you're the size of a small lizard or cricket.' * * * In this world, the female has the long-term advantage. They live to procreate another day, as long as 25 years. The males, on the other hand, go on to die soon after mating between age 4 and 7—in some cases immediately after sex at the fangs of their mate. * * * Tarantulas themselves face numerous threats. One is from habitat destruction due to development, which has reduced their numbers, Mr [Michael] Marchiano[, a volunteer naturalist for the Mount Diablo State Park] said. One of its most deadly foes is the tarantula wasp, whose sting leaves the arachnid paralyzed but still alive—until it is consumed by the wasp's offspring")

Note:
(a) There is no need to read the rest, although the article is free.
(b) tarantula
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula
(section 3 Distribution)
(c)
(i) Mount Diablo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Diablo
(ii) English dictionary:
* diablo (n; from Spanish noun masculine diablo devil)
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/diablo