ABC, NPR call on Draney to explain ‘spider rain’

A small Australian town was hit with a rain of falling spiders and their silk that practically piled up in drifts, and ABC News online wanted to explain the phenomenon to its readers and viewers. They talked to two American arachnologists, including Prof. Michael Draney of the Natural and Applied Sciences program at UW-Green Bay. It seems the floating webs are a dispersal technique (called “ballooning”) and the prevailing air currents and a bumper hatch combined to make little Goulburn, Australia spider central. See story.

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Next up: NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ – Draney also fielded a call from National Public Radio and “All Things Considered.” He taped a short interview for a spot expected to air Wednesday (May 20) during the afternoon ATC news show.