Furtastic Series Banner

Spiders 'rain' in awesome, but kinda unsettling event

It's not quite rain, however.
 By 
Johnny Lieu
 on 

Rain is already annoying enough when it's not seemingly made of spiders.

So spare a thought for the people who had to keep an eye on a group of arachnids that appeared to be raining down over rural Brazil, thanks to hot and humid weather.

João Pedro Martinelli Fonseca, who filmed a video of the event, told a local paper Terro Do Mandu (as per a translation from The Guardian) that he was travelling to his grandparents' farm north east of São Paulo, when he noticed black dots in the sky.

Fonseca said he was "stunned and scared," in particular when a spider fell through the window, and well, fair enough.

Turns out, though, it's more of an illusion. The species, parawixia bistriata, is a rare social spider which builds webs so fine that they are near impossible to see with the human eye.

Adalberto dos Santos, a biology professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, told the newspaper that the spiders nest in a ball in the vegetation during the day, then come out at night to build a huge web connected to bushes and trees.

The web can measure up to four metres wide and three metres (4.37 yards and 3.28 yards) thick.

There's nothing to worry about, however: The venom of these spiders are harmless, and the web actually helps to keep flies and mosquitoes in check, as they feast on them at dawn.

Topics Animals

Mashable Image
Johnny Lieu

Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com

Mashable Potato

More from Furtastic



Impossible burger will upgrade itself like an app until you quit beef
Original image replaced with Mashable logo

The PetSafe ScoopFree is a budget Litter-Robot alternative if your cat hates enclosed litter boxes
Cat stepping into litter box and cat sitting on toilet beside litter box

Recommended For You

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!