The World Wide Web of Spiders

Since we have entered the month of Halloween - traditionally associated with fear, scary stories and horror festivals, it would not be inappropriate to visit a phobia so common most people have no trouble whatsoever remembering its learned name. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. But while spiders are predators with complex social rituals, (and a select few pack an impressive load of toxins within their venom sacs) most spiders are harmless to humans - often feeding on true pests such as roaches and mosquitoes. On the World Wide Web of Spiders, you will encounter arachnids from Greece, Egypt, the Philippines, France, Australia, the Americas and many more. Rather than spider pet hobbyists (yes, there are Facebook groups for those also), this community comprises casual to serious observers. Apart from ID requests, there are plenty of intimate close-ups of rarities such as the gorgeously patterned velvet spider, the orb weaver, wolf spiders and that common favorite, the winningly photogenic and ever quirky jumping spider. 

Members: 129.7k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: Creepy crawlies

Go here to visit or join. 

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All Bugs Go to Kevin

I don't know who Kevin is. But with an estimated 30 million species and 10 quintillion (that's a lot of zeros) individuals at large, it is hardly surprising that his Facebook group for identifying insects, bugs, worms, arachnids and other creepy crawlies would be a very busy online space. Within just 24 hours' worth of posts, I endured some facetime with an RV-domiciled huntsman spider (named Charlotte), a pair of crane flies getting all romantic on someone's windshield, caterpillars sampling the new growth of spring, jumping spiders from several different corners of the globe, a rat-tailed maggot enjoying a swim in a garden bucket, a wolf spider in the wild, and a mantis charmer. And that's not even counting a rogues' gallery of critters that as yet remain unidentified. Scroll through the guides to check the frequently asked questions and comments about specific species, or even just to meet the knowledgeable resident experts through a series of Q&As. There's even a set of All Bugs Go to Kevin merchandize.

Members: 283.6k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Creepy crawlies.

Go here to visit or join. 

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