Nature bites back

Apparently something in the Mazda 6 fuel line is warm and inviting for the yellow sac spider, enough so that they are building webs over the vent systems of the 4 cylinder vehicles (and not the 6!).  The problem has been deemed a “spider infestation” by the car company, and the clogged vent lines then can lead to a cracked gas tank and the possibility of a fire.

“A certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line and this may cause a restriction of the line”

So far only 20 cases are confirmed, but this problem is prolific enough that it has lead to a recall of over 52,000 sedans!  I think it’s high time the major car companies hire entomology consultants – after all, my retainer would be a lot less than the cost of that recall…

I consulted with our resident team of arachnologists here at the CAS, and the above image does appear to be a sac spider.  It’s too hard to tell from the image, but it’s probably not an egregious taxonomic failure.

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