On April 1, 2020, New Horizons underwent a major update to implement ‘Bunny Day’, a limited-time event that celebrates spring. Cherry blossoms sprouted, holiday mascot Zipper T. Bunny showed up to deliver eggs to villagers around the world, and a new island resident, the giant water bug, arrived to deprive players of their precious tarantula spawns.
One of the best ways to earn lots of Bells, the primary in-game currency, in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is to sell lots of fish and bugs to savvy businessman Tom Nook and his nephews, Timmy and Tommy. Few bugs are more lucrative than the terrifying tarantula, which sells for a whopping 8,500 bells to the Nooks and even more to bug lover, Flick.
Players celebrated when they discovered that one of the islands they can visit using the Mystery Tour feature, the lovingly named “Tarantula Island” featured nothing but the best-selling bugs. Enterprising bell farmers even created a method of turning a number of other Mystery Islands into copies of “Tarantula Island,” by removing all rocks, trees, flowers, and other wildlife, providing more opportunities for tarantulas to spawn.
The giant water bugs, like the tarantulas, are able to spawn on islands visited using the Mystery Tour feature. However, unlike other bugs, they spawn in the water, making them extremely difficult to catch and remove. Many frustrated players found endless giant water bugs spawning instead of a single tarantula. To make things worse, the water bugs can be sold for a mere 2,000 Bells — significantly fewer than the prized tarantulas.
According to Polygon, players report that it is still possible to encounter a Mystery Tour island which spawns nothing but tarantulas. While extremely rare, these islands are far more likely to spawn at night (after 7 p.m.) and contain a number of tarantulas to catch – without any risk of water bugs getting in the way. Tarantulas are also more likely to spawn on Mystery Islands featuring bamboo, which typically does not feature rivers suitable for giant water bugs to appear.
Have you visited the legendary Tarantula Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Let us know!
