More than 3,500 venomous spiders – including black widows and redbacks – have been exterminated at a US military base in western Japan, alarming residents and officials already struggling with a rise in invasive species across the country.
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The record number of spiders, found between July and October at the US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, included three known venomous species and prompted local authorities to demand urgent action to prevent the infestation from spreading beyond the base’s perimeter.
Experts believe the arachnids likely arrived aboard aircraft operated by the US Marines or Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force, which also uses the facility. The sheer number caught – 3,506 in total – has triggered fresh concern over Japan’s ability to control foreign species that are increasingly establishing themselves in urban areas.
“Local residents have submitted requests to Iwakuni City regarding measures to prevent the spread of the spiders outside the base,” said Kaku Yamamoto, an official with the city’s environmental department.
“The city and Yamaguchi prefecture have requested that the base, as a matter of local concern, completely eradicate the spiders and mow the grass near the boundary fence,” he told This Week in Asia.
Experts from the city, prefecture and national government share responsibility for conducting habitat surveys along the perimeter fence, with each agency carrying out inspections once a week, according to Yamamoto.