World's oldest known spider dies in Australia of wasp sting

Named Number 16, the spider helped scientists to unlock important information about the behaviour of an arachnid that can be found across Australia, including in domestic gardens. [Courtesy]

The world's oldest known spider has died at the ripe old age of 43 after being monitored for years during a long-term population study in Australia, researchers said Monday.

The trapdoor matriarch comfortably outlived the previous record holder, a 28-year-old tarantula found in Mexico, according to a study published in the Pacific Conservation Biology Journal.