© San Diego Natural History Museum Researchers at the San Diego Natural History museum recently discovered a new species and genus of spider in the hills of Baja California, called Califorctenus cacahilensis.
While traipsing through the a mine in the hills of Baja California, Michael Wall and Jim Berrian struck gold. Skittering across the abandoned mine shaft was a beast that would send most people running.
The entomologists instead ran toward the creature - a whopping spider the size of a baseball - and captured it for analysis. With juicy fangs, a hairy yellow abdomen and legs for miles, the arachnid was certainly a looker, but neither of the scientists could classify it.
Back in their lab at the San Diego Natural History Museum, the researchers had a eureka moment. Upon corroborating with Mexican entomologist and southern spider expert Maria Jimenez, the scientists confirmed that they had discovered a new species and genus. They named it
Califorctenus cacahilensis, after the Sierra Cacahilas mountain ranges where it was first found.
Comment: Three days later in the Philippines: 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocks near Talaga, south of Manila