Just in time for Halloween, spider expert Linda Rayor will be showing and telling all about certain scary arachnids, in her talk "Tarantulas: Terrific or Terrible?" Saturday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m. at Ithaca Sciencenter.

Spiders are the most important land predators, killing many tons of insects every year, says Rayor, an instructor on the Cornell University faculty. "Because of their large size and hairy bodies, tarantulas have a fearsome reputation even though they are largely harmless," she says.

Rayor will explain how tarantulas are different and similar to other spiders, and she will discuss tarantula behavior and habits. There will be many live and diverse tarantula specimens for Sciencenter visitors to see.

Sciencenter members and children under 3 years old are free. Admission for children ages 3 to 12 is $3.50, adults are $4.50, and seniors are $4. For information and directions, go to www.sciencenter.org, or call (607) 272-0600