Tumblespider

Tumblespider: The tumblespider is native to Amarsi (2121 Daibei). An adult measures about 0.5 m in diameter, and weighs perhaps 0.1 kg. It strongly resembles a small, twiggy bush, and blows across the plains of this relatively dry world. The tumblespider exudes a pleasing smell to attract insects, which it then grabs out of the air with its sticklike arms.

During Amarsi's equinoctial storms, the spider is blown about violently, dropping its eggs as it goes. The seasonal snows cover the eggs and insulate them until spring, when they hatch. The dead bodies of the adult tumblespiders litter the winter landscape, sometimes blowing into drifts several meters wide.

Tumblespiders have been imported to other worlds as a natural insect control mechanism. Tumblespiders are harmless and even make good pets. The natives of Amarsi regard tumblespiders as "good spirits." Among the locals, the saying "helpful as a tumblespider" is popular. -dai TD 15