Creepy Crawlers

Biologist Lauren Esposito searches for spiders and scorpions around the world

October 2018

By Mara Grunbaum

Some people have cats or dogs as pets. Lauren Esposito has an eight-eyed, eight-legged whip spider the size of a human hand. The spider, named Nae Nae, lives in Esposito’s office. She lets people hold Nae Nae to show that he’s not as scary as he looks.

Esposito is a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. She studies spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids (uh-RAK-nids). Part of her job is to teach people what’s neat about the animals—even people who don’t like them.

Some people have cats or dogs as pets. Lauren Esposito has an eight-eyed, eight-legged whip spider. It’s the size of a person’s hand. The spider is named Nae Nae. He lives in Esposito’s office. She lets people hold Nae Nae. It shows them he’s not as scary as he looks.

Esposito is a scientist. She works at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. She studies spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids (uh-RAK-nidz). Not everyone likes spiders. But part of Esposito’s job is to teach people how neat the animals can be.

Arachnids Everywhere!

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Earth is home to about 1 million species of arachnid. They range from tiny mites the size of the period at the end of this sentence to whip spiders the size of dinner plates. They live everywhere from deserts to swamps. Some, such as house spiders, live mostly indoors. “It’s safe to assume that there’s always an arachnid within a few feet of you,” says Esposito.

Esposito studies how arachnids are related to each other. To do that, she examines preserved arachnids at museums. She also travels the world to look for new species.

In October 2017, Esposito joined an expedition of scientists to the Asian country of Malaysia. They wanted to discover new species living in a rainforest there. On the first day, Esposito and another scientist saw something moving in a rotting log. They dug in and found a ghost scorpion—a type of arachnid known for being tough to spot. After examining it, they realized it was a new species! “We high-fived and jumped up and down,” says Esposito.

Earth is home to about 1 million species of arachnid. They can be tiny mites the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Or they can be whip spiders the size of dinner plates. Arachnids live everywhere, from deserts to swamps. Some, like house spiders, live mostly indoors. “It’s safe to assume that there’s always an arachnid within a few feet of you,” says Esposito.

Esposito studies how arachnids are related to each other. She looks at preserved arachnids at museums to do that. She also travels the world to look for new species.

Esposito joined a group of scientists in October 2017. They traveled to the Asian country of Malaysia. They visited a rainforest. They wanted to discover new species living there. Esposito and another scientist saw something on the first day. It was moving in a rotting log. They dug in and found a ghost scorpion. It’s a type of arachnid known for being tough to spot. They looked at it closely. It was a species that was new to scientists! “We high-fived and jumped up and down,” says Esposito.

Creepy or Cool?

Esposito knows why some people find arachnids scary. Some species inject toxic venom when they bite or sting. Esposito received her first sting this past April when she startled a Pacific forest scorpion. It hurt about as much as a bee sting.

But most arachnids aren’t dangerous, says Esposito. In fact, many arachnids help us. For instance, spiders eat mosquitoes and other pests.

Scientists think that fewer than half of arachnid species have been discovered. Soon Esposito will travel to Mexico, China, and Madagascar to search for more. She loves her work—even if it means the occasional sting. “For me, it’s a perfect job,” she says.

Esposito knows why some people find arachnids scary. Some species bite or sting. Their venom can be painful. Esposito got her first sting this past April. It happened when she startled a Pacific forest scorpion. It hurt about as much as a bee sting!

But most arachnids aren’t dangerous, says Esposito. Many help us in fact. For instance, spiders eat mosquitoes and other pests.

Scientists think less than half of arachnid species have been discovered. Soon Esposito will travel to Mexico, China, and Madagascar. She’s searching for more new species. She loves her work, even if it means a few stings. “For me, it’s a perfect job,” she says.