Tiny Wonders is designed to educate visitors about spiders and their role in the earth’s ecosystem.  “Spiders serve as excellent garden protectors, acting as nature’s own pesticide against insects that eat and destroy flowers and plants,” said Mike Reed, Manager of the Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  “Our hope is to have an impact on the way our visitors view these small but important creatures.”

The northern black widow spider (Latrodectus variolus) is commonly found around woodpiles and other undisturbed places.  The female, often distinguished by the red hour-glass marking on its abdomen, is known to occasionally kill and eat the male after mating.

The house spider (Steatoda triangulosa), or triangulate cobweb spider, weaves cobwebs in the dark corners of houses, basements, barns and outbuildings.  It is easily overlooked as its brownish-orange body is only about one-eighth to a quarter inch long. 

The Chilean beauty spider (Grammostola concepcion) is a hairy tarantula named after the town of Concepcion in Chile.  Despite its fearsome-looking appearance, it is a popular exotic pet due to its typically non-aggressive behavior. 

The Tiny Wonders habitat will provide interpretive graphics to help dispel the web of common myths associated with spiders and will include an interactive display to educate visitors about the various species of arachnids.

The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  Admission is free.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.
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