At least 52,000 Mazda cars in the United States are being recalled because of a spider that so enjoys the smell of gasoline that it has been constructing webs in their emission systems. The webs could restrict a vent line, according to the National Highway Safety Commission, which could lead to increased fuel tank pressure.

The build-up of webs in the emission systems could lead to fuel tank cracks and possible leaks.

The culprit is the Yellow Sac spider, which makes the Mazda6 model of Mazda cars its home because it is lured inside by the smell of the fuel. The Mazda6 is known as the Atenza in Japan.

"While it's very rare, this spider's distinguishing characteristic is that it likes the smell of gasoline, caused by the hydrogen oxide," said automotive journalist Mitsuhiro Kunisawa.

"Once it smells the gasoline from outside, it will go inside. In the United States, it's a relatively common type of spider."

The affected model, the Mazda6, has two pipes coming out from its gas tank, which is extremely rare and means that the smell of gasoline is strong enough to draw the spider in but not strong enough to kill it, Kunisawa said.

Read the full story at Reuters.