Quck answer
Spiders are arachnids that use their eight legs and specialized body parts to hunt and catch prey. They have two main body regions: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. The cephalothorax contains the spider’s eyes, mouthparts, and legs, while the abdomen holds the spider’s organs and produces silk. Spiders use their silk to create webs for trapping prey, as well as for shelter and movement. Some spiders also use venom to immobilize their prey. Overall, spiders are fascinating creatures with unique adaptations that allow them to thrive in many different environments.
Wild Animals
Silk Uses
Purse web spiders create a silk-coated hole in the ground to ambush prey.
Photo courtesy Ed Nieuwenhuys
Although all spider species produce silk, they utilize it in various ways. While some don’t use it for hunting, others don’t spin webs at all. Like human construction materials, spider silk has multiple applications.
The dragline is the most common use of silk. While moving from place to place, some spiders leave a thin, dry thread behind them. This thread functions as a safety line, akin to a mountain climber’s rope. If a spider gets into trouble, it can quickly backtrack on the line to safety.
Another common use of silk is building a nursery. In most species, female spiders spin a thick, protective cocoon for their eggs and sometimes the spiderlings after hatching. Some spider species leave the cocoon unguarded while their young develop, while others, like wolf spiders, carry the cocoons with them.
A redback spider with her silk-spun egg sac
Photo courtesy Steve Clark
The most familiar silk use is web building. Web structures differ significantly among species. While some spiders build disorganized cobwebs, others create long funnels made of silk sheets, and some work together to form massive silk sheets around plant life. Net-casting spiders form a small web between their legs to quickly wrap up any insects that get trapped.
The most well-known web is the orb web, the intricate design spun by most garden spiders. This web is one of the most remarkable structures in nature, and its construction is among the most incredible animal activities you’ll ever see. We’ll examine this process in the next section.
Diving Spiders
Diving water spiders, or Argyroneta aquatica, are among the planet’s most incredible animals. They breathe air like other arthropods but spend most of their lives underwater. The spider’s diving bell is the secret to its survival.
The spider first creates a web platform underwater, connected to a plant. It carries air bubbles under the web, on the underside of its body, to gradually build a stable underwater air pocket. The web keeps the air bubbles from rising to the surface. The spider ventures out to catch fish, tadpoles, and other pond animals and brings them back to the diving bell to eat. It also mates, lays eggs, and raises spiderlings in the bell.
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FAQ
1. What are spiders?
Spiders are arachnids, a class of joint-legged invertebrates that also includes scorpions, ticks, and mites. They have two main body parts (cephalothorax and abdomen), eight legs, and usually eight eyes. There are over 45,000 species of spiders known so far, ranging in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters.
2. How do spiders breathe?
Spiders breathe through tiny openings on their abdomen called spiracles. These openings connect to a network of tubes called tracheae, which deliver oxygen directly to the spider’s organs and tissues. This system is more efficient than relying on the circulatory system to transport oxygen, like most other animals do.
3. How do spiders spin webs?
Spider silk is produced in specialized glands in the spider’s abdomen and secreted through spinnerets, located at the end of the abdomen. The silk is then extruded as a liquid that solidifies upon contact with the air. Spiders can spin different types of silk for different purposes, such as building webs, wrapping prey, or making egg sacs.
4. How do spiders catch prey?
Most spiders use their webs to catch prey. They build intricate structures that can trap insects, small animals, and even birds. Some spiders also use their silk as a lasso or a net to snare prey. Once caught, the spider injects venom into the prey to immobilize it and then secretes digestive enzymes to break down the tissues.
5. How do spiders avoid getting stuck in their own webs?
Spiders have specialized hairs on their legs that prevent them from sticking to their own webs. These hairs are hydrophobic, which means they repel water and other liquids, including the sticky silk. Spiders also move carefully and strategically on their webs to avoid getting entangled.
6. How do spiders molt?
Spiders have an exoskeleton, a hard outer layer that provides support and protection. However, this layer cannot grow, so spiders have to shed it periodically to allow for growth. This process is called molting. Spiders typically molt several times during their lifetime, and the new exoskeleton is soft and vulnerable until it hardens and darkens.
7. How do spiders reproduce?
Male spiders usually approach females cautiously, often performing elaborate courtship rituals to avoid being mistaken for prey. Once the male has been accepted, he deposits a sperm packet on a specially modified web called a sperm web. The female then picks up the sperm and fertilizes her eggs internally or externally, depending on the species.
8. How do spiders defend themselves?
Spiders have several defense mechanisms, including biting, venom, camouflage, and mimicry. Some spiders can also shed their legs or drop their bodies to escape predators. Many species also have warning colors or patterns that signal their toxicity or unpalatability to potential predators.
9. How do spiders communicate?
Spiders communicate through a variety of signals, including visual cues, vibrations, and chemical scents. Some spiders use their webs to convey information, such as the location of prey, while others rely on body language to communicate with each other or potential mates.
10. How do spiders survive in different environments?
Spiders are found in almost every habitat on Earth, from deserts to rainforests, from mountains to the ocean floor. They have adapted to various environmental conditions by developing specialized behaviors, such as burrowing, climbing, or swimming. They have also evolved different morphological features, such as silk glands, fangs, or sensory organs, to cope with their surroundings.
11. How do spiders benefit humans?
Spiders play an important role in many ecosystems as predators of insects and other arthropods. They also have medical and industrial applications, as spider venom can be used to develop new drugs and spider silk is one of the strongest and most elastic materials known to man. Some spiders are also kept as pets or used for educational purposes.
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