The Anime News Network is reporting that FUNimation has acquired the U.S. video distribution rights for Spider Riders, a 52-episode action adventure anime series targeting younger viewers.  The series is co-produced by the Canadian company Cookie Jar Ent. and the Japanese advertising agency Yomiko, with animation by Bee Train, the studio responsible for the .hack// anime series.  Yomiko has been involved in the creation of numerous anime series aimed at a primarily young male demographic including Digimon and Beyblade.

The protagonist of Spider Riders is an 11-year-old boy who discovers the subterranean world of Arachna, where giant insects dominate everything save for the remnants of a lost civilization, defended only by a small band of warriors who ride into battle on giant spiders.  The Spider Rider anime just debuted in Japan and, after a mix of movie premiere and weekly showings this spring, the series will be shown daily in Canada on Teletoon, the Canadian all-animation channel, starting in June.  There is no word yet on when FUNimation will release the first Spider Rider DVDs in the U.S.