“If you find this new bug in your house, do not kill it!!! His bite is not poisonous; they are very affectionate, it feeds on mice and small rodents, and it goes away on its own.”
Johannesburg, South Africa (07 September 2022) – South Africans responding to a Facebook post about a “new bug” that is finding its way into our homes is pretty ridiculous and quite funny!
A South African Facebook page called “Nuus/Wenke/Hekel/Brei & Respte” shared a post about a species of “Arthropod” that is apparently making its way into South African homes.
“If you find this species of arthropod in your house, do not kill it!!! His bite is not poisonous; they are very affectionate, it feeds on mice and small rodents, and it goes away on its own. They are tropical animals, which live in trees, probably arrived in Africa on ships carrying logs and have also adapted very well here to the hot climate. I recommend if you find one at home, treat it well.”
The photos are, in fact, of a toy/prop called a “Facehugger” from the Alien film franchise. They are not friendly and, in the film series, serve as the second stage of the Alien’s life cycle, acting as intermediaries for the Alien with the sole purpose of implanting other living beings with Alien embryos.
Sounds fun… or maybe not so much, but the comments to the post have been super funny as many have believed the photos to be real, thinking it is a new species of arachnid.
“Uhm, when you say affectionate, what exactly does it mean.” – Maryna Coetzee Parsons Wells
“Oh, HELL NO! If it comes into my house, it will be treated like a burglar; it will die, end of story!!!” – Merdith Rose
“Are you serious? I won’t try to kill, in case it’s faster than me, but I’ll definitely move out, and send scouts in to check if it’s left.” – Magda Van der Westhuysen
“Don’t tell us what to do! We killing it and moving out and selling the house with the spider included.” – Shaafi Kamaldien
“If that moves in he can have the house the car the boat the caravan the works I’m out!!” – Kath DuPlooy McDonald
The comments are hilarious, but they highlight the importance of a narrative we feel passionately about here at Good Things Guy. Yes, Facehuggers should absolutely be avoided, but the majority of arachnids shouldn’t.
Arachnids like spiders are beneficial predators and serve a significant role in keeping populations of many insect pests in check. It is estimated that one spider can eat as many as 2,000 insects in a year – the majority of these being flies and mosquitos! They might seem creepy (because we have told each other this for generations), but Spiders aren’t actually out to get to us and actively avoid human interaction. They might be predators of insects, but their biggest predator is us. We are their killers.
So maybe next time you encounter a spider in your home, don’t threaten to burn the house down. Rather get something (or someone) to move the spider outside and keep your space free of mosquitos and flies!
And again, if you do encounter a real Facehugger… good luck and Godspeed!
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