Lou Coticchio is an arachnologist and wildlife educator often dubbed a “real-life Spider-Man” for his hands-on work with spiders. Lou is a research associate at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida. He specializes in North American species, with a heavy focus on Loxosceles and Latrodectus species (in other words, recluses and widows). Lou is best known for calmly debunking myths and helping people understand the animals they fear most. Through research, fieldwork, and public outreach, Lou focuses on making science accessible and showing that spiders are far more fascinating (and less scary) than their reputation suggests.