The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the news set…

NBC Chicago anchors had a little visitor during the 5 p.m. news — a curious spider climbing around the camera that feeds the live video to the studio’s video wall “windows.”

Substitute sports anchor Mark Schanowski, on loan from Comcast SportsNet, was wrapping up his report and tossing back to anchors Rob Stafford and Allison Rosati when the spider appeared on the far right side of the five-panel video wall that dominates the set.

Rosanti noticed the critter out of the corner of her eye and acknowledged it on air.

Similar five panel video walls, made of vertically mounted flat panel screens separated by metal columns to create the illusion of a large window, are found at NBC O&O stations in New York City and Washington, D.C.

WMAQ-TV installed the “windows” in September 2012, just months after debuting a new set that had a much smaller 3×3 monitor array behind the anchor desk. Those monitors were moved to another location in the studio and are now used for traffic and lifestyle segments.