Spider (Disambiguation)
Spider (Disambiguation)
Spider (Disambiguation)
Spider
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia
Forotheruses,seeSpider(disambiguation).
Spiders(orderAraneae)areairbreathingarthropodsthathaveeightlegs
Spiders
andcheliceraewithfangsthatinjectvenom.Theyarethelargestorder
Temporal
ofarachnidsandrankseventhintotalspeciesdiversityamongall
range:PennsylvanianHolocene,3190Ma
otherordersoforganisms.[2]Spidersarefoundworldwideoneverycontinent
Pre OS D C P T J K Pg N
exceptforAntarctica,andhavebecomeestablishedinnearlyeveryhabitatwith
theexceptionsofairandseacolonization.AsofNovember2015,atleast
45,700spiderspecies,and113familieshavebeenrecorded
bytaxonomists.[1]However,therehasbeendissensionwithinthescientific
communityastohowallthesefamiliesshouldbeclassified,asevidencedby
theover20differentclassificationsthathavebeenproposedsince1900.[3]
Anatomically,spidersdifferfromotherarthropodsinthattheusual
bodysegmentsarefusedintotwotagmata,thecephalothoraxandabdomen,
andjoinedbyasmall,cylindricalpedicel.Unlikeinsects,spidersdonot
haveantennae.Inallexceptthemostprimitivegroup,theMesothelae,spiders
havethemostcentralizednervoussystemsofallarthropods,asall
theirgangliaarefusedintoonemassinthecephalothorax.Unlikemost
arthropods,spidershavenoextensormusclesintheirlimbsandinsteadextend
thembyhydraulicpressure.
Theirabdomensbearappendagesthathavebeenmodifiedintospinneretsthat
extrudesilkfromuptosixtypesofglands.Spiderwebsvarywidelyinsize,
shapeandtheamountofstickythreadused.Itnowappearsthatthespiralorb Anassortmentofdifferentspiders.
webmaybeoneoftheearliestforms,andspidersthatproducetangled
Scientificclassification
cobwebsaremoreabundantanddiversethanorbwebspiders.Spider
Kingdom: Animalia
likearachnidswithsilkproducingspigotsappearedin
theDevonianperiodabout386millionyearsago,buttheseanimalsapparently Phylum: Arthropoda
lackedspinnerets.TruespidershavebeenfoundinCarboniferousrocks Subphylum: Chelicerata
from318to299millionyearsago,andareverysimilartothemostprimitive Class: Arachnida
survivingsuborder,theMesothelae.Themaingroupsofmodern Order: Araneae
spiders,MygalomorphaeandAraneomorphae,firstappearedintheTriassic Clerck,1757
period,before200millionyearsago.
Suborders
Aherbivorousspecies,Bagheerakiplingi,wasdescribedin2008,[4]butallother
Mesothelae
knownspeciesarepredators,mostlypreyingoninsectsandonotherspiders,
Opisthothelae
althoughafewlargespeciesalsotakebirdsandlizards.Spidersuseawide
SeeSpidertaxonomy.
rangeofstrategiestocaptureprey:trappingitinstickywebs,lassoingitwith
stickybolas,mimickingthepreytoavoiddetection,orrunningitdown.Most Diversity[1]
detectpreymainlybysensingvibrations,buttheactivehuntershaveacute 113families,c.46,000species
vision,andhuntersofthegenusPortiashowsignsofintelligenceintheirchoice
oftacticsandabilitytodevelopnewones.Spiders'gutsaretoonarrowtotakesolids,andtheyliquefytheirfoodbyflooding
itwithdigestiveenzymes.Theyalsogrindfoodwiththebasesoftheirpedipalps,asarachnidsdonothavethemandibles
thatcrustaceansandinsectshave.
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Malespidersidentifythemselvesbyavarietyofcomplexcourtshipritualstoavoidbeingeatenbythefemales.Malesof
mostspeciessurviveafewmatings,limitedmainlybytheirshortlifespans.Femalesweavesilkeggcases,eachofwhich
maycontainhundredsofeggs.Femalesofmanyspeciescarefortheiryoung,forexamplebycarryingthemaroundorby
sharingfoodwiththem.Aminorityofspeciesaresocial,buildingcommunalwebsthatmayhouseanywherefromafewto
50,000individuals.Socialbehaviorrangesfromprecarioustoleration,asinthewidowspiders,tocooperativehuntingand
foodsharing.Althoughmostspidersliveforatmosttwoyears,tarantulasandothermygalomorphspiderscanliveupto
25yearsincaptivity.
Whilethevenomofafewspeciesisdangeroustohumans,scientistsarenowresearchingtheuseofspidervenomin
medicineandasnonpollutingpesticides.Spidersilkprovidesacombinationoflightness,strengthandelasticitythatis
superiortothatofsyntheticmaterials,andspidersilkgeneshavebeeninsertedintomammalsandplantstoseeifthese
canbeusedassilkfactories.Asaresultoftheirwiderangeofbehaviors,spidershavebecomecommonsymbolsinart
andmythologysymbolizingvariouscombinationsofpatience,crueltyandcreativepowers.Anabnormalfearofspidersis
calledarachnophobia.
Contents[hide]
1 Description
1.1 Bodyplan
1.2 Circulationandrespiration
1.3 Feeding,digestionandexcretion
1.4 Centralnervoussystem
1.5 Senseorgans
1.5.1 Eyes
1.5.2 Othersenses
1.6 Locomotion
1.7 Silkproduction
1.8 Reproductionandlifecycle
1.9 Size
1.10 Coloration
2 Ecologyandbehavior
2.1 Nonpredatoryfeeding
2.2 Methodsofcapturingprey
2.3 Defense
2.4 Socialspiders
3 Webtypes
3.1 Orbwebs
3.2 Tanglewebspiders(cobwebspiders)
3.3 Othertypesofwebs
4 Evolution
4.1 Fossilrecord
4.2 Familytree
5 Taxonomy
5.1 Mesothelae
5.2 Mygalomorphae
5.3 Araneomorphae
6 Spidersandpeople
6.1 Spiderbites
6.2 Benefitstohumans
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6.3 Arachnophobia
6.4 Spidersinsymbolismandculture
7 Seealso
8 Footnotes
9 Bibliography
10 Furtherreading
11 Externallinks
Description
Mainarticle:Spideranatomy
Bodyplan
Spiders
arecheliceratesand
Palystescastaneusfemale Nos1to14asfordorsalaspect
dorsalaspect 15:sternumofprosoma
1:pedipalp 16:pedicel(alsocalledpedicle)
2:trichobothria 17:booklungsac
3:carapaceofprosoma(cephalothorax) 18:booklungstigma
4:opisthosoma(abdomen) 19:epigastricfold
5:eyesAL(anteriorlateral) 20:epigyne
AM(anteriormedian) 21:anteriorspinneret
PL(posteriorlateral) 22:posteriorspinneret
PM(posteriormedian) I,II,III,IV=Legnumbersfromanteriortoposterior
Legsegments:
6:costa
7:trochanter
8:patella
9:tibia
10:metatarsus
11:tarsus
13:claw
14:chelicera
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thereforearthropods.[5]Asarthropodstheyhave:segmentedbodieswithjointedlimbs,allcoveredinacuticlemade
ofchitinandproteinsheadsthatarecomposedofseveralsegmentsthatfuseduringthedevelopmentof
theembryo.[6]Beingchelicerates,theirbodiesconsistoftwotagmata,setsofsegmentsthatservesimilarfunctions:the
foremostone,calledthecephalothoraxorprosoma,isacompletefusionofthesegmentsthatinaninsectwouldformtwo
separatetagmata,theheadandthoraxthereartagmaiscalledtheabdomenoropisthosoma.[5]Inspiders,the
cephalothoraxandabdomenareconnectedbyasmallcylindricalsection,thepedicel.[7]Thepatternofsegmentfusionthat
formschelicerates'headsisuniqueamongarthropods,andwhatwouldnormallybethefirstheadsegmentdisappearsat
anearlystageofdevelopment,sothatchelicerateslacktheantennaetypicalofmostarthropods.Infact,chelicerates'
onlyappendagesaheadofthemouthareapairofchelicerae,andtheylackanythingthatwouldfunctiondirectlyas
"jaws".[6][8]Thefirstappendagesbehindthemoutharecalledpedipalps,andservedifferentfunctionswithindifferentgroups
ofchelicerates.[5]
Spidersandscorpionsaremembersofonechelicerategroup,thearachnids.[8]Scorpions'cheliceraehavethreesections
andareusedinfeeding.[9]Spiders'cheliceraehavetwosectionsandterminateinfangsthataregenerallyvenomous,and
foldawaybehindtheuppersectionswhilenotinuse.Theuppersectionsgenerallyhavethick"beards"thatfiltersolidlumps
outoftheirfood,asspiderscantakeonlyliquidfood.[7]Scorpions'pedipalpsgenerallyformlargeclawsforcapturing
prey,[9]whilethoseofspidersarefairlysmallappendageswhosebasesalsoactasanextensionofthemouthinaddition,
thoseofmalespidershaveenlargedlastsectionsusedforspermtransfer.[7]
Inspiders,thecephalothoraxandabdomenarejoinedbyasmall,cylindricalpedicel,whichenablestheabdomentomove
independentlywhenproducingsilk.Theuppersurfaceofthecephalothoraxiscoveredbyasingle,convexcarapace,while
theundersideiscoveredbytworatherflatplates.Theabdomenissoftandeggshaped.Itshowsnosignofsegmentation,
exceptthattheprimitiveMesothelae,whoselivingmembersaretheLiphistiidae,havesegmentedplatesontheupper
surface.[7]
Circulationandrespiration
Likeotherarthropods,spidersarecoelomatesinwhichthecoelomisreducedtosmallareasroundthereproductiveand
excretorysystems.Itsplaceislargelytakenbyahemocoel,acavitythatrunsmostofthelengthofthebodyandthrough
whichbloodflows.Theheartisatubeintheupperpartofthebody,withafewostiathatactasnonreturnvalvesallowing
bloodtoentertheheartfromthehemocoelbutpreventitfromleavingbeforeitreachesthefrontend.[10]However,in
spiders,itoccupiesonlytheupperpartoftheabdomen,andbloodisdischargedintothehemocoelbyonearterythat
opensattherearendoftheabdomenandbybranchingarteriesthatpassthroughthepedicleandopenintoseveralparts
ofthecephalothorax.Hencespidershaveopencirculatorysystems.[7]Thebloodofmanyspidersthathavebook
lungscontainstherespiratorypigmenthemocyanintomakeoxygentransportmoreefficient.[8]
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Spidershavedevelopedseveraldifferentrespiratoryanatomies,basedonbooklungs,atrachealsystem,or
both.MygalomorphandMesothelaespidershavetwopairsofbooklungsfilledwithhaemolymph,whereopeningson
theventralsurfaceoftheabdomenallowairtoenteranddiffuseoxygen.Thisisalsothecaseforsome
basalaraneomorphspiders,likethefamilyHypochilidae,buttheremainingmembersofthisgrouphavejusttheanterior
pairofbooklungsintactwhiletheposteriorpairofbreathingorgansarepartlyorfullymodifiedintotracheae,throughwhich
oxygenisdiffusedintothehaemolymphordirectlytothetissueandorgans.[7]Thetracheasystemhasmostlikelyevolved
insmallancestorstohelpresistdesiccation.[8]Thetracheawereoriginallyconnectedtothesurroundingsthroughapairof
openingscalledspiracles,butinthemajorityofspidersthispairofspiracleshasfusedintoasingleoneinthemiddle,and
movedbackwardsclosetothespinnerets.[7]Spidersthathavetracheaegenerallyhavehighermetabolicratesandbetter
waterconservation.[11]Spidersareectotherms,soenvironmentaltemperaturesaffecttheiractivity.[12]
Feeding,digestionandexcretion
Uniquelyamongchelicerates,thefinalsectionsofspiders'cheliceraearefangs,and
thegreatmajorityofspiderscanusethemtoinjectvenomintopreyfrom
venomglandsintherootsofthechelicerae.[7]The
familiesUloboridaeandHolarchaeidae,andsomeLiphistiidaespiders,havelost
theirvenomglands,andkilltheirpreywithsilkinstead.[13]Likemostarachnids,
includingscorpions,[8]spidershaveanarrowgutthatcanonlycopewithliquidfood
andspidershavetwosetsoffilterstokeepsolidsout.[7]Theyuseoneoftwo
differentsystemsofexternaldigestion.Somepumpdigestiveenzymesfromthe
midgutintothepreyandthensucktheliquifiedtissuesofthepreyintothegut,
eventuallyleavingbehindtheemptyhuskoftheprey.Othersgrindthepreytopulp
Cheiracanthiumpunctorium,
displayingfangs usingthecheliceraeandthebasesofthepedipalps,whilefloodingitwithenzymes
inthesespecies,thecheliceraeandthebasesofthepedipalpsformapreoralcavity
thatholdsthefoodtheyareprocessing.[7]
Thestomachinthecephalothoraxactsasapumpthatsendsthefooddeeperintothedigestivesystem.Themidgutbears
manydigestivececa,compartmentswithnootherexit,thatextractnutrientsfromthefoodmostareintheabdomen,which
isdominatedbythedigestivesystem,butafewarefoundinthecephalothorax.[7]
Mostspidersconvertnitrogenouswasteproductsintouricacid,whichcanbeexcretedasadrymaterial.Malphigian
tubules("littletubes")extractthesewastesfromthebloodinthehemocoelanddumpthemintothecloacalchamber,from
whichtheyareexpelledthroughtheanus.[7]ProductionofuricacidanditsremovalviaMalphigiantubulesareawater
conservingfeaturethathasevolvedindependentlyinseveralarthropodlineagesthatcanlivefarawayfromwater,[14]for
examplethetubulesofinsectsandarachnidsdevelopfromcompletelydifferentpartsoftheembryo.[8]However,afew
primitivespiders,thesuborderMesothelaeandinfraorderMygalomorphae,retaintheancestral
arthropodnephridia("littlekidneys"),[7]whichuselargeamountsofwatertoexcretenitrogenouswasteproducts
asammonia.[14]
Centralnervoussystem
Thebasicarthropodcentralnervoussystemconsistsofapairofnervecordsrunningbelowthegut,withpairedgangliaas
localcontrolcentersinallsegmentsabrainformedbyfusionofthegangliafortheheadsegmentsaheadofandbehind
themouth,sothattheesophagusisencircledbythisconglomerationofganglia.[15]ExceptfortheprimitiveMesothelae,of
whichtheLiphistiidaearethesolesurvivingfamily,spidershavethemuchmorecentralizednervoussystemthatistypicalof
arachnids:allthegangliaofallsegmentsbehindtheesophagusarefused,sothatthecephalothoraxislargelyfilledwith
nervoustissueandtherearenogangliaintheabdomen[7][8][15]intheMesothelae,thegangliaoftheabdomenandtherear
partofthecephalothoraxremainunfused.[11]
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Despitetherelativelysmallcentralnervoussystem,somespiders(likePortia)exhibitcomplexbehaviour,includingthe
abilitytouseatrialanderrorapproach.[16][17]
Senseorgans
Eyes
Mostspidershavefourpairsofeyesonthetopfrontareaofthecephalothorax,
arrangedinpatternsthatvaryfromonefamilytoanother.[7]Thepairatthefront
areofthetypecalledpigmentcupocelli("littleeyes"),whichin
mostarthropodsareonlycapableofdetectingthedirectionfromwhichlightis
coming,usingtheshadowcastbythewallsofthecup.However,themaineyes
atthefrontofspiders'headsarepigmentcupocellithatarecapableofforming
images.[18][19]Theothereyesarethoughttobederivedfromthecompound
eyesoftheancestralchelicerates,butnolongerhavetheseparatefacetstypical
Thisjumpingspider's
ofcompoundeyes.Unlikethemaineyes,inmanyspidersthesesecondaryeyes
mainocelli(centerpair)areveryacute.The
detectlightreflectedfromareflectivetapetumlucidum,andwolfspiderscanbe outerpairare"secondaryeyes"andthere
spottedbytorchlightreflectedfromthetapeta.Ontheotherhand,jumping areotherpairsofsecondaryeyesonthe
spiders'secondaryeyeshavenotapeta.[7]Somejumpingspiders'visual sidesandtopofitshead.[18]
acuityexceedsbyafactoroftenthatofdragonflies,whichhavebyfarthebest
visionamonginsectsinfactthehumaneyeisonlyaboutfivetimessharperthanajumpingspider's.Theyachievethisby
atelephotolikeseriesoflenses,afourlayerretinaandtheabilitytoswiveltheireyesandintegrateimagesfromdifferent
stagesinthescan.Thedownsideisthatthescanningandintegratingprocessesarerelativelyslow.[16]
Therearespiderswithareducednumberofeyes,ofthesethosewithsixeyesarethemostnumerousandaremissinga
pairofeyesontheanteriormedianline,[20]othersspecieshavefoureyesandsomejusttwo.Cavedwellingspecieshave
noeyes,orpossessvestigialeyesincapableofsight.
Othersenses
Aswithotherarthropods,spiders'cuticleswouldblockoutinformationabouttheoutsideworld,exceptthattheyare
penetratedbymanysensorsorconnectionsfromsensorstothenervoussystem.Infact,spidersandotherarthropodshave
modifiedtheircuticlesintoelaboratearraysofsensors.Varioustouchsensors,mostlybristlescalledsetae,respondto
differentlevelsofforce,fromstrongcontacttoveryweakaircurrents.Chemicalsensorsprovideequivalents
oftasteandsmell,oftenbymeansofsetae.[18]Pedipalpscarryalargenumberofsuchsetaesensitivetocontactchemicals
andairbornesmells,suchasfemalepheromones.[21]Spidersalsohaveinthejointsoftheirlimbsslitsensillaethatdetect
forcesandvibrations.Inwebbuildingspiders,allthesemechanicalandchemicalsensorsaremoreimportantthanthe
eyes,whiletheeyesaremostimportanttospidersthathuntactively.[7]
Likemostarthropods,spiderslackbalanceandaccelerationsensorsandrelyontheireyestotellthemwhichwayisup.
Arthropods'proprioceptors,sensorsthatreporttheforceexertedbymusclesandthedegreeofbendinginthebodyand
joints,arewellunderstood.Ontheotherhand,littleisknownaboutwhatotherinternalsensorsspidersorotherarthropods
mayhave.[18]
Locomotion
Eachoftheeightlegsofaspiderconsistsofsevendistinctparts.Thepartclosesttoandattachingthelegtothe
cephalothoraxisthecoxathenextsegmentistheshorttrochanterthatworksasahingeforthefollowinglongsegment,
thefemurnextisthespider'sknee,thepatella,whichactsasthehingeforthetibiathemetatarsusisnext,anditconnects
thetibiatothetarsus(whichmaybethoughtofasafootofsorts)thetarsusendsinaclawmadeupofeithertwoorthree
points,dependingonthefamilytowhichthespiderbelongs.Althoughallarthropodsusemusclesattachedtotheinsideof
theexoskeletontoflextheirlimbs,spidersandafewothergroupsstillusehydraulicpressuretoextendthem,asystem
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inheritedfromtheirprearthropodancestors.[22]Theonlyextensormusclesinspider
legsarelocatedinthethreehipjoints(borderingthecoxaandthetrochanter).[23]As
aresult,aspiderwithapuncturedcephalothoraxcannotextenditslegs,andthe
legsofdeadspiderscurlup.[7]Spiderscangeneratepressuresuptoeighttimes
theirrestingleveltoextendtheirlegs,[24]andjumpingspiderscanjumpupto50
timestheirownlengthbysuddenlyincreasingthebloodpressureinthethirdor
fourthpairoflegs.[7]Althoughlargerspidersusehydraulicstostraightentheirlegs,
unlikesmallerjumpingspiderstheydependontheirflexormusclestogeneratethe
propulsiveforcefortheirjumps.[23] Imageofaspiderleg:1coxa2
trochanter3femur4patella5tibia
Mostspidersthathuntactively,ratherthanrelyingonwebs,havedensetuftsoffine 6metatarsus7tarsus8claws
hairsbetweenthepairedclawsatthetipsoftheirlegs.Thesetufts,known
asscopulae,consistofbristleswhoseendsaresplitintoasmanyas1,000
branches,andenablespiderswithscopulaetowalkupverticalglassandupsidedownonceilings.Itappearsthatscopulae
gettheirgripfromcontactwithextremelythinlayersofwateronsurfaces.[7]Spiders,likemostotherarachnids,keepatleast
fourlegsonthesurfacewhilewalkingorrunning.[25]
Silkproduction
Mainarticle:Spidersilk
Theabdomenhasnoappendagesexceptthosethathavebeenmodifiedtoform
onetofour(usuallythree)pairsofshort,movablespinnerets,whichemitsilk.Each
spinnerethasmanyspigots,eachofwhichisconnectedtoonesilkgland.Thereare
atleastsixtypesofsilkgland,eachproducingadifferenttypeofsilk.[7]
Silkismainlycomposedofaproteinverysimilartothatusedininsectsilk.Itis
initiallyaliquid,andhardensnotbyexposuretoairbutasaresultofbeingdrawn
out,whichchangestheinternalstructureoftheprotein.[26]Itissimilarintensile
strengthtonylonandbiologicalmaterialssuchaschitin,collagenandcellulose,but
ismuchmoreelastic.Inotherwords,itcanstretchmuchfurtherbeforebreakingor
losingshape.[7]
Somespidershaveacribellum,amodifiedspinneretwithupto40,000spigots,each
ofwhichproducesasingleveryfinefiber.Thefibersarepulledoutby
thecalamistrum,acomblikesetofbristlesonthejointedtipofthecribellum,and
combinedintoacompositewoollythreadthatisveryeffectiveinsnaggingthe
bristlesofinsects.Theearliestspidershadcribella,whichproducedthefirstsilk
capableofcapturinginsects,beforespidersdevelopedsilkcoatedwithsticky Anorbweaverproducingsilkfrom
itsspinnerets
droplets.However,mostmoderngroupsofspidershavelostthecribellum.[7]
Tarantulasalsohavesilkglandsintheirfeet.[27]
Evenspeciesthatdonotbuildwebstocatchpreyusesilkinseveralways:aswrappersforspermandforfertilizedeggsas
a"safetyrope"fornestbuildingandas"parachutes"bytheyoungofsomespecies.[7]
Reproductionandlifecycle
Furtherinformation:Spidercannibalism
Spidersreproducesexuallyandfertilizationisinternalbutindirect,inotherwordsthespermisnotinsertedintothefemale's
bodybythemale'sgenitalsbutbyanintermediatestage.Unlikemanylandlivingarthropods,[28]malespidersdonot
producereadymadespermatophores(packagesofsperm),butspinsmallspermwebsontowhichtheyejaculateandthen
transferthespermtospecialsyringelikestructures,palpalbulbsorpalpalorgans,borneonthetipsofthepedipalpsof
maturemales.Whenamaledetectssignsofafemalenearbyhecheckswhethersheisofthesamespeciesandwhether
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sheisreadytomateforexampleinspeciesthatproducewebsor"safetyropes",
themalecanidentifythespeciesandsexoftheseobjectsby"smell".[7]
Spidersgenerallyuseelaboratecourtshipritualstopreventthelargefemalesfrom
eatingthesmallmalesbeforefertilization,exceptwherethemaleissomuchsmaller
thatheisnotwortheating.Inwebweavingspecies,precisepatternsofvibrationsin
thewebareamajorpartoftherituals,whilepatternsoftouchesonthefemale's
bodyareimportantinmanyspidersthathuntactively,andmay"hypnotize"the MatingbehaviourofNerieneradiata
female.Gesturesanddancesbythemaleareimportantforjumpingspiders,which
haveexcellenteyesight.Ifcourtshipissuccessful,themaleinjectshisspermfromthepalpal
bulbsintothefemale'sgenitalopening,knownastheepigyne,ontheundersideofher
abdomen.Female'sreproductivetractsvaryfromsimpletubestosystemsthatinclude
seminalreceptaclesinwhichfemalesstorespermandreleaseitwhentheyareready.[7]
MalesofthegenusTidarrenamputateoneoftheirpalpsbeforematurationandenteradult
lifewithonepalponly.Thepalpsare20%ofmale'sbodymassinthisspecies,and
detachingoneofthetwoimprovesmobility.IntheYemenispeciesTidarrenargo,the
remainingpalpisthentornoffbythefemale.Theseparatedpalpremainsattachedtothe
female'sepigynumforaboutfourhoursandapparentlycontinuestofunctionindependently.
Inthemeantime,thefemalefeedsonthepalplessmale.[29]Inover60%ofcases,the
femaleoftheAustralianredbackspiderkillsandeatsthemaleafteritinsertsitssecondpalp
intothefemale'sgenitalopeninginfact,themalescooperatebytryingtoimpale
Thetinymaleof
themselvesonthefemales'fangs.Observationshowsthatmostmaleredbacksneverget theGoldenorb
anopportunitytomate,andthe"lucky"onesincreasethelikelynumberofoffspringby weaver(Nephilaclavipes)
(nearthetopoftheleaf)is
ensuringthatthefemalesarewellfed.[30]However,malesofmostspeciessurviveafew
protectedfromthefemaleby
matings,limitedmainlybytheirshortlifespans.Someevenliveforawhileintheirmates' hisproducingtheright
webs.[31] vibrationsintheweb,andmay
betoosmalltobeworth
eating.
Femaleslayupto3,000eggsinoneormoresilkeggsacs,[7]whichmaintainafairlyconstanthumiditylevel.[31]Insome
species,thefemalesdieafterwards,butfemalesofotherspeciesprotectthesacsbyattachingthemtotheirwebs,hiding
theminnests,carryingtheminthecheliceraeorattachingthemtothespinneretsanddraggingthemalong.[7]
Babyspiderspassalltheirlarvalstagesinsidetheeggandhatchasspiderlings,verysmallandsexuallyimmaturebut
similarinshapetoadults.Somespiderscarefortheiryoung,forexampleawolfspider'sbroodclingtoroughbristlesonthe
mother'sback,[7]andfemalesofsomespeciesrespondtothe"begging"behaviouroftheiryoungbygivingthemtheirprey,
provideditisnolongerstruggling,orevenregurgitatefood.[31]
Likeotherarthropods,spidershavetomolttogrowastheircuticle("skin")cannotstretch.[32]Insomespeciesmalesmate
withnewlymoltedfemales,whicharetooweaktobedangeroustothemales.[31]Mostspidersliveforonlyonetotwoyears,
althoughsometarantulascanliveincaptivityforover20years.[7][33]
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Size
Spidersoccurinalargerangeofsizes.Thesmallest,PatudiguafromColombia,
arelessthan0.37mm(0.015in)inbodylength.Thelargestandheaviestspiders
occuramongtarantulas,whichcanhavebodylengthsupto90mm(3.5in)andleg
spansupto250mm(9.8in).[34]
Coloration
Onlythreeclassesofpigment(ommochromes,bilinsandguanine)havebeen
identifiedinspiders,althoughotherpigmentshavebeendetectedbutnotyet
characterized.Melanins,carotenoidsandpterins,verycommoninotheranimals,
areapparentlyabsent.Insomespecies,theexocuticleofthelegsandprosomais
modifiedbyatanningprocess,resultinginbrowncoloration.[35]Bilinsarefound,for
example,inMicrommatavirescens,resultinginitsgreencolor.Guanineis
responsibleforthewhitemarkingsoftheEuropeangardenspiderAraneus
diadematus.Itisinmanyspeciesaccumulatedinspecializedcells
calledguanocytes.Ingenerasuch
Goliathbirdeater(Theraphosa
asTetragnatha,Leucauge,ArgyrodesorTheridiosoma,guaninecreatestheir
blondi),thelargestspider
silveryappearance.Whileguanineisoriginallyanendproductofprotein
metabolism,itsexcretioncanbeblockedinspiders,leadingtoanincreaseinits
storage.[35]Structuralcolorsoccurinsomespecies,whicharetheresultofthediffraction,scatteringorinterferenceoflight,
forexamplebymodifiedsetaeorscales.ThewhiteprosomaofArgioperesultsfromhairsreflectingthe
light,LycosaandJosabothhaveareasofmodifiedcuticlethatactaslightreflectors.[35]
Ecologyandbehavior
Nonpredatoryfeeding
Althoughspidersaregenerallyregardedaspredatory,thejumpingspiderBagheera
kiplingigetsover90%ofitsfoodfromfairlysolidplantmaterialproduced
byacaciasaspartofamutuallybeneficialrelationshipwithaspeciesofant.[36]
Juvenilesofsomespidersinthe
familiesAnyphaenidae,Corinnidae,Clubionidae,ThomisidaeandSalticidaefeedon
plantnectar.Laboratorystudiesshowthattheydosodeliberatelyandover
extendedperiods,andperiodicallycleanthemselveswhilefeeding.Thesespiders
AjumpingspiderseeninChennai.
alsoprefersugarsolutionstoplainwater,whichindicatesthattheyareseeking
nutrients.Sincemanyspidersarenocturnal,theextentofnectarconsumptionby
spidersmayhavebeenunderestimated.Nectarcontainsaminoacids,lipids,vitaminsandmineralsinadditiontosugars,
andstudieshaveshownthatotherspiderspecieslivelongerwhennectarisavailable.Feedingonnectaravoidstherisksof
struggleswithprey,andthecostsofproducingvenomanddigestiveenzymes.[37]
Variousspeciesareknowntofeedondeadarthropods(scavenging),websilk,andtheirownshed
exoskeletons.Pollencaughtinwebsmayalsobeeaten,andstudieshaveshownthatyoungspidershaveabetterchance
ofsurvivaliftheyhavetheopportunitytoeatpollen.Incaptivity,severalspiderspeciesarealsoknowntofeed
onbananas,marmalade,milk,eggyolkandsausages.[37]
Methodsofcapturingprey
Mainarticle:Spiderweb
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Thebestknownmethodofpreycaptureisbymeansofstickywebs.Varying
placementofwebsallowsdifferentspeciesofspidertotrapdifferentinsectsinthe
samearea,forexampleflathorizontalwebstrapinsectsthatflyupfromvegetation
underneathwhileflatverticalwebstrapinsectsinhorizontalflight.Webbuilding
spidershavepoorvision,butareextremelysensitivetovibrations.[7]
FemalesofthewaterspiderArgyronetaaquaticabuildunderwater"divingbell"webs
thattheyfillwithairandusefordigestingprey,molting,matingandraisingoffspring.
Theylivealmostentirelywithinthebells,dartingouttocatchpreyanimalsthattouch
thebellorthethreadsthatanchorit.[38]Afewspidersusethesurfacesoflakesand
pondsas"webs",detectingtrappedinsectsbythevibrationsthatthesecausewhile
struggling.[7]
Netcastingspidersweaveonlysmallwebs,butthenmanipulatethemtotrapprey.
ThoseofthegenusHyptiotesandthefamilyTheridiosomatidaestretchtheirwebs
andthenreleasethemwhenpreystrikethem,butdonotactivelymovetheirwebs. ThePhonognathagraeffeiorleaf
ThoseofthefamilyDeinopidaeweaveevensmallerwebs,holdthemoutstretched curlingspider'swebservesbothasa
betweentheirfirsttwopairsoflegs,andlungeandpushthewebsasmuchastwice trapandasawayofmakingitshomein
aleaf.
theirownbodylengthtotrapprey,andthismovemayincreasethewebs'areabya
factorofuptoten.ExperimentshaveshownthatDeinopisspinosushastwo
differenttechniquesfortrappingprey:backwardsstrikestocatchflyinginsects,whosevibrationsitdetectsandforward
strikestocatchgroundwalkingpreythatitsees.Thesetwotechniqueshavealsobeenobservedinotherdeinopids.
Walkinginsectsformmostofthepreyofmostdeinopids,butonepopulationofDeinopissubrufaappearstolivemainly
ontipulidfliesthattheycatchwiththebackwardsstrike.[39]
MaturefemalebolasspidersofthegenusMastophorabuild"webs"thatconsistofonlyasingle"trapezeline",whichthey
patrol.Theyalsoconstructabolasmadeofasinglethread,tippedwithalargeballofverywetstickysilk.Theyemit
chemicalsthatresemblethepheromonesofmoths,andthenswingthebolasatthemoths.Althoughtheymissonabout
50%ofstrikes,theycatchaboutthesameweightofinsectspernightaswebweavingspidersofsimilarsize.Thespiders
eatthebolasiftheyhavenotmadeakillinabout30minutes,restforawhile,andthenmakenewbolas.[40][41]Juveniles
andadultmalesaremuchsmalleranddonotmakebolas.Insteadtheyreleasedifferentpheromonesthatattractmothflies,
andcatchthemwiththeirfrontpairsoflegs.[42]
TheprimitiveLiphistiidae,the"trapdoorspiders"ofthefamilyCtenizidaeand
manytarantulasareambushpredatorsthatlurkinburrows,oftenclosedby
trapdoorsandoftensurroundedbynetworksofsilkthreadsthatalertthesespiders
tothepresenceofprey.[11]Otherambushpredatorsdowithoutsuchaids,including
manycrabspiders,[7]andafewspeciesthatpreyonbees,whichseeultraviolet,can
adjusttheirultravioletreflectancetomatchtheflowersinwhichtheyare
lurking.[35]Wolfspiders,jumpingspiders,fishingspidersandsomecrab
Atrapdoorspiderinthe spiderscapturepreybychasingit,andrelymainlyonvisiontolocateprey.[7]
genusCyclocosmia,anambush
SomejumpingspidersofthegenusPortiahunt
predator
otherspidersinwaysthatseem
intelligent,[16]outflankingtheirvictimsorluring
themfromtheirwebs.LaboratorystudiesshowthatPortia'sinstinctivetacticsareonly
startingpointsforatrialanderrorapproachfromwhichthesespiderslearnvery
quicklyhowtoovercomenewpreyspecies.[43]However,theyseemtoberelativelyslow
"thinkers",whichisnotsurprising,astheirbrainsarevastlysmallerthanthoseof
mammalianpredators.[16]
Portiausesbothwebsand
cunning,versatiletacticsto
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Antmimickingspidersfaceseveralchallenges: overcomeprey.[43]
theygenerallydevelopslimmerabdomensand
false"waists"inthecephalothoraxtomimicthethreedistinctregions(tagmata)of
anant'sbodytheywavethefirstpairoflegsinfrontoftheirheadsto
mimicantennae,whichspiderslack,andtoconcealthefactthattheyhaveeight
legsratherthansixtheydeveloplargecolorpatchesroundonepairofeyesto
disguisethefactthattheygenerallyhaveeightsimpleeyes,whileantshavetwo
Anantmimickingjumpingspider compoundeyestheycovertheirbodieswithreflectivehairstoresembletheshiny
bodiesofants.Insomespiderspecies,malesandfemalesmimicdifferentant
species,asfemalespidersareusuallymuchlargerthanmales.Antmimickingspidersalsomodifytheirbehaviorto
resemblethatofthetargetspeciesofantforexample,manyadoptazigzagpatternofmovement,antmimickingjumping
spidersavoidjumping,andspidersofthegenusSynemosynawalkontheouteredgesofleavesinthesameway
asPseudomyrmex.Antmimicryinmanyspidersandotherarthropodsmaybeforprotectionfrompredatorsthathuntby
sight,includingbirds,lizardsandspiders.However,severalantmimickingspiderspreyeitheronantsorontheants'
"livestock",suchasaphids.Whenatrest,theantmimickingcrabspiderAmyciaeadoesnotcloselyresembleOecophylla,
butwhilehuntingitimitatesthebehaviorofadyinganttoattractworkerants.Afterakill,someantmimickingspidershold
theirvictimsbetweenthemselvesandlargegroupsofantstoavoidbeingattacked.[44]
Defense
Thereisstrongevidencethatspiders'colorationiscamouflagethathelpsthemto
evadetheirmajorpredators,birdsandparasiticwasps,bothofwhichhavegood
colorvision.Manyspiderspeciesarecoloredsoastomergewiththeirmost
commonbackgrounds,andsomehavedisruptivecoloration,stripesandblotches
thatbreakuptheiroutlines.Inafewspecies,suchastheHawaiianhappyface
spider,Theridiongrallator,severalcolorationschemesarepresentinaratiothat
appearstoremainconstant,andthismaymakeitmoredifficultforpredatorsto
recognizethespecies.Mostspidersareinsufficientlydangerousorunpleasant
tastingforwarningcolorationtooffermuchbenefit.However,afewspecieswith
powerfulvenoms,largejawsorirritanthairshavepatchesofwarningcolors,and ThreatdisplaybyaSydneyfunnel
webspider(Atraxrobustus).
someactivelydisplaythesecolorswhenthreatened.[35][45]
ManyofthefamilyTheraphosidae,whichincludestarantulasandbaboonspiders,
haveurticatinghairsontheirabdomensandusetheirlegstoflickthematattackers.Thesehairsarefinesetae(bristles)
withfragilebasesandarowofbarbsonthetip.Thebarbscauseintenseirritationbutthereisnoevidencethattheycarry
anykindofvenom.[46]Afewdefendthemselvesagainstwaspsbyincludingnetworksofveryrobustthreadsintheirwebs,
givingthespidertimetofleewhilethewaspsarestrugglingwiththeobstacles.[47]Thegoldenwheelingspider,Carparachne
aureoflava,oftheNamibiandesertescapesparasiticwaspsbyflippingontoitssideandcartwheelingdownsanddunes.[48]
Socialspiders
Mainarticle:Socialspider
Afewspiderspeciesthatbuildwebslivetogetherinlargecoloniesandshowsocialbehavior,althoughnotascomplexas
insocialinsects.Anelosimuseximius(inthefamilyTheridiidae)canformcoloniesofupto50,000individuals.[49]The
genusAnelosimushasastrongtendencytowardssociality:allknownAmericanspeciesaresocial,andspecies
inMadagascarareatleastsomewhatsocial.[50]Membersofotherspeciesinthesamefamilybutseveraldifferentgenera
haveindependentlydevelopedsocialbehavior.Forexample,althoughTheridionnigroannulatumbelongstoagenuswith
noothersocialspecies,T.nigroannulatumbuildcoloniesthatmaycontainseveralthousandindividualsthatcooperatein
preycaptureandsharefood.[51]OthercommunalspidersincludeseveralPhiloponellaspecies(familyUloboridae),Agelena
consociata(familyAgelenidae)andMallosgregalis(familyDictynidae).[52]Socialpredatoryspidersneedtodefendtheir
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preyagainstkleptoparasites("thieves"),andlargercoloniesaremoresuccessfulinthis.[53]Theherbivorous
spiderBagheerakiplingilivesinsmallcolonieswhichhelptoprotecteggsandspiderlings.[36]Evenwidow
spiders(genusLatrodectus),whicharenotoriouslycannibalistic,haveformedsmallcoloniesincaptivity,sharingwebsand
feedingtogether.[54]
Webtypes
Mainarticle:Spiderweb
Thereisnoconsistentrelationshipbetweentheclassificationofspidersandthe
typesofwebtheybuild:speciesinthesamegenusmaybuildverysimilaror
significantlydifferentwebs.Noristheremuchcorrespondencebetweenspiders'
classificationandthechemicalcompositionoftheirsilks.Convergentevolutionin
webconstruction,inotherwordsuseofsimilartechniquesbyremotelyrelated
species,isrampant.Orbwebdesignsandthespinningbehaviorsthatproducethem
arethebestunderstood.Thebasicradialthenspiralsequencevisibleinorbwebs ThelargeorbwebofAraneus
diadematus(Europeangardenspider).
andthesenseofdirectionrequiredtobuildthemmayhavebeeninheritedfromthe
commonancestorsofmostspidergroups.[55]However,themajorityofspidersbuild
nonorbwebs.Itusedtobethoughtthatthestickyorbwebwasanevolutionaryinnovationresultinginthediversificationof
theOrbiculariae.Now,however,itappearsthatnonorbspidersareasubgroupthatevolvedfromorbwebspiders,and
nonorbspidershaveover40%morespeciesandarefourtimesasabundantasorbwebspiders.Theirgreatersuccess
maybebecausesphecidwasps,whichareoftenthedominantpredatorsofspiders,muchprefertoattackspidersthathave
flatwebs.[56]
Orbwebs
Abouthalfthepotentialpreythathitorbwebsescape.Awebhastoperformthree
functions:interceptingtheprey(intersection),absorbingitsmomentumwithout
breaking(stopping),andtrappingthepreybyentanglingitorstickingtoit
(retention).Nosingledesignisbestforallprey.Forexample:widerspacingoflines
willincreasetheweb'sareaandhenceitsabilitytointerceptprey,butreduceits
stoppingpowerandretentioncloserspacing,largerstickydropletsandthickerlines
wouldimproveretention,butwouldmakeiteasierforpotentialpreytoseeand
avoidtheweb,atleastduringtheday.However,therearenoconsistentdifferences
betweenorbwebsbuiltforuseduringthedayandthosebuiltforuseatnight.In
fact,thereisnosimplerelationshipbetweenorbwebdesignfeaturesandtheprey
theycapture,aseachorbweavingspeciestakesawiderangeofprey.[55]
Thehubsoforbwebs,wherethespiderslurk,areusuallyabovethecenter,asthe
spiderscanmovedownwardsfasterthanupwards.Ifthereisanobviousdirectionin Nephilaclavata,agoldenorb
whichthespidercanretreattoavoiditsownpredators,thehubisusuallyoffset weaver
towardsthatdirection.[55]
Horizontalorbwebsarefairlycommon,despitebeinglesseffectiveatinterceptingandretainingpreyandmorevulnerable
todamagebyrainandfallingdebris.Variousresearchershavesuggestedthathorizontalwebsoffercompensating
advantages,suchasreducedvulnerabilitytowinddamagereducedvisibilitytopreyflyingupwards,becauseoftheback
lightingfromtheskyenablingoscillationstocatchinsectsinslowhorizontalflight.However,thereisnosingleexplanation
forthecommonuseofhorizontalorbwebs.[55]
Spidersoftenattachhighlyvisiblesilkbands,calleddecorationsorstabilimenta,totheirwebs.Fieldresearchsuggeststhat
webswithmoredecorativebandscapturedmorepreyperhour.[57]However,alaboratorystudyshowedthatspidersreduce
thebuildingofthesedecorationsiftheysensethepresenceofpredators.[58]
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Thereareseveralunusualvariantsoforbweb,manyofthemconvergentlyevolved,including:attachmentoflinestothe
surfaceofwater,possiblytotrapinsectsinoronthesurfacewebswithtwigsthroughtheircenters,possiblytohidethe
spidersfrompredators"ladderlike"websthatappearmosteffectiveincatchingmoths.However,thesignificanceofmany
variationsisunclear.[55]
In1973,Skylab3tooktwoorbwebspidersintospacetotesttheirwebspinningcapabilitiesinzerogravity.Atfirst,both
producedrathersloppywebs,buttheyadaptedquickly.[59]
Tanglewebspiders(cobwebspiders)
MembersofthefamilyTheridiidaeweaveirregular,tangled,threedimensionalwebs,popularly
knownascobwebs.Thereseemstobeanevolutionarytrendtowardsareductioninthe
amountofstickysilkused,leadingtoitstotalabsenceinsomespecies.Theconstructionof
cobwebsislessstereotypedthanthatoforbwebs,andmaytakeseveraldays.[56]
Othertypesofwebs
Afunnelweb.
TheLinyphiidaegenerallymakehorizontalbutunevensheets,withtanglesofstoppingthreads
above.Insectsthathitthestoppingthreadsfallontothesheetorareshakenontoitbythe
spider,andareheldbystickythreadsonthesheetuntilthespidercanattackfrombelow.[60]
Evolution
Mainarticle:Spiderevolution
Fossilrecord
Althoughthefossilrecordofspidersisconsideredpoor,[61]almost1000specieshavebeen
describedfromfossils.[62]Becausespiders'bodiesarequitesoft,thevastmajorityoffossil
spidershavebeenfoundpreservedinamber.[62]Theoldestknownamberthatcontainsfossil
arthropodsdatesfrom130millionyearsagointheEarlyCretaceousperiod.Inadditionto
preservingspiders'anatomyinveryfinedetail,piecesofambershowspidersmating,killing
prey,producingsilkandpossiblycaringfortheiryoung.Inafewcases,amberhaspreserved
Spiderpreserved spiders'eggsacsandwebs,occasionallywithpreyattached[63]theoldestfossilwebfoundso
inamber
faris100millionyearsold.[64]Earlierspiderfossilscomefromafewlagersttten,placeswhere
conditionswereexceptionallysuitedtopreservingfairlysofttissues.[63]
TheoldestknownexclusivelyterrestrialarachnidisthetrigonotarbidPalaeotarbusjerami,from
about420millionyearsagointheSilurianperiod,andhadatriangularcephalothoraxand
segmentedabdomen,aswellaseightlegsandapairofpedipalps.[65]Attercopusfimbriunguis,
from386millionyearsagointheDevonianperiod,bearstheearliestknownsilkproducing
spigots,andwasthereforehailedasaspideratthetimeofitsdiscovery.[66]However,these
spigotsmayhavebeenmountedontheundersideoftheabdomenratherthanonspinnerets,
whicharemodifiedappendagesandwhosemobilityisimportantinthebuildingofwebs.
Palaeotarbusjerami, HenceAttercopusandthesimilarPermianarachnidPermarachnemaynothavebeentrue
atrigonotarbidandthe
spiders,andprobablyusedsilkforliningnestsorproducingeggcasesratherthanforbuilding
oldestknownexclusively
terrestrialarachnid webs.[67]Thelargestknownfossilspiderasof2011isthearaneidNephilajurassica,from
about165millionyearsago,recordedfromDaohuogo,InnerMongoliainChina.[68]Itsbody
lengthisalmost25mm,(i.e.,almostoneinch).
SeveralCarboniferousspidersweremembersoftheMesothelae,aprimitivegroupnowrepresentedonlyby
theLiphistiidae.[66]ThemesothelidPaleothelemontceauensis,fromtheLateCarboniferousover299millionyearsago,had
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fivespinnerets.[69]AlthoughthePermianperiod299to251millionyearsagosawrapiddiversificationofflyinginsects,there
areveryfewfossilspidersfromthisperiod.[66]
Themaingroupsofmodernspiders,MygalomorphaeandAraneomorphae,firstappearintheTriassicwell
before200millionyearsago.SomeTriassicmygalomorphsappeartobemembersofthefamilyHexathelidae,whose
modernmembersincludethenotoriousSydneyfunnelwebspider,andtheirspinneretsappearadaptedforbuildingfunnel
shapedwebstocatchjumpinginsects.Araneomorphaeaccountforthegreatmajorityofmodernspiders,includingthose
thatweavethefamiliarorbshapedwebs.TheJurassicandCretaceousperiodsprovidealargenumberoffossilspiders,
includingrepresentativesofmanymodernfamilies.[66]
Familytree
Itisnowagreedthatspiders(Araneae)
Xiphosura(horseshoecrabs)
aremonophyletic(i.e.,membersofagroupof
Eurypterida
organismsthatformaclade,consistingofalast
commonancestorandallofits
Chasmataspidida
descendants).[71]Therehasbeendebateabout
Scorpiones
whattheirclosestevolutionaryrelativesare,and
Opiliones(harvestmen)
howalloftheseevolvedfromthe
ancestralchelicerates,whichweremarine Pseudoscorpiones
animals.Thecladogramontherightisbasedon Solifugae(sunspiders)
J.W.Shultz'analysis(2007).Otherviewsinclude
Palpigradi(microwhipscorpions)
proposalsthat:scorpionsaremorecloselyrelated
totheextinctmarinescorpion Chelicerata Trigonotarbida
likeeurypteridsthantospidersspiders Araneae(spiders)
andAmblypygiareamonophyleticgroup.The Arachnida
Haptopoda
appearanceofseveralmultiwaybranchingsin
thetreeontherightshowsthattherearestill Amblypygi(whipspiders)
uncertaintiesaboutrelationshipsbetweenthe
Thelyphonida(whipscorpions)
groupsinvolved.[71]
Schizomida
Arachnidslacksomefeaturesofother
Ricinulei(hoodedtickspiders)
chelicerates,includingbackwardpointingmouths
andgnathobases("jawbases")atthebasesof Anactinotrichida
theirlegs[71]bothofthesefeaturesarepartofthe Acariformes(mites)
ancestralarthropodfeedingsystem.[72]Instead,
Shultz(2007)'sevolutionaryfamilytreeofarachnids[70]marksextinctgroups.
theyhavemouthsthatpointforwardsand
downwards,andallhavesomemeansofbreathingair.[71]Spiders(Araneae)aredistinguishedfromotherarachnidgroups
byseveralcharacteristics,includingspinneretsand,inmales,pedipalpsthatarespeciallyadaptedforspermtransfer.[73]
Taxonomy
Mainarticle:Spidertaxonomy
Spidersaredividedintotwosuborders,MesothelaeandOpisthothelae,ofwhichthelattercontainstwo
infraorders,MygalomorphaeandAraneomorphae.Nearly46,000livingspeciesofspiders(orderAraneae)havebeen
identifiedandarecurrentlygroupedintoabout114familiesandabout4,000generabyarachnologists.[1]
Spiderdiversity[1][73] Features
(numbersareapproximate)
Suborder/Infraorder Species Genera Families Segmented Gangliain Spinnerets[74] Striking
plateson abdomen direction
[7]
offangs14/22
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topof offangs[7]
abdomen [74]
Fourpairs,in
somespecies
onepair Downwards
Mesothelae 87 5 1 Yes Yes
fused,under and
middleof forwards
abdomen
Opisthothelae:Mygalomorphae 2,600 300 15 One,twoor
Onlyinsome threepairs Fromsides
No
Opisthothelae:Araneomorphae 37,000 3,400 93 fossils underrearof tocenter,
abdomen likepincers
Mesothelae
Mainarticle:Mesothelae
TheonlylivingmembersoftheprimitiveMesothelaearethefamilyLiphistiidae,foundonly
inSoutheastAsia,China,andJapan.[73]MostoftheLiphistiidaeconstructsilklinedburrows
withthintrapdoors,althoughsomespeciesofthegenusLiphistiusbuildcamouflagedsilktubes
withasecondtrapdoorasanemergencyexit.MembersofthegenusLiphistiusrunsilk
Ryuthelasecundaria,a "tripwires"outwardsfromtheirtunnelstohelpthemdetectapproachingprey,whilethoseof
memberof
genusHeptatheladonotandinsteadrelyontheirbuiltinvibrationsensors.[76]Spidersofthe
theLiphistiidae[75]
genusHeptathelahavenovenomglandsalthoughtheydohavevenomglandoutletsonthe
fangtip.[77]
TheextinctfamiliesArthrolycosidae,foundinCarboniferousandPermianrocks,andArthromygalidae,sofarfoundonly
inCarboniferousrocks,havebeenclassifiedasmembersoftheMesothelae.[78]
Mygalomorphae
Mainarticle:Mygalomorphae
TheMygalomorphae,whichfirstappearedintheTriassicperiod,[66]aregenerally
heavilybuiltandhairy,withlarge,robustcheliceraeandfangs.[73]Wellknown
examplesincludetarantulas,ctenizidtrapdoorspidersandtheAustralasianfunnel
webspiders.[7]Mostspendthemajorityoftheirtimeinburrows,andsomerunsilk
tripwiresoutfromthese,butafewbuildwebstocaptureprey.However,
mygalomorphscannotproducethepirifomsilkthattheAraneomorphaeuseas
instantadhesivetogluesilktosurfacesortootherstrandsofsilk,andthismakes
webconstructionmoredifficultformygalomorphs.Sincemygalomorphsrarely AMexicanredkneed
"balloon"byusingaircurrentsfortransport,theirpopulationsoftenform tarantulaBrachypelmasmithi
clumps.[73]Inadditiontoarthropods,mygalomorphsarecapableofpreyingon
frogs,smallmammals,lizards,andsnails.[79]
Araneomorphae
Mainarticle:Araneomorphae
Inadditiontoaccountingforover90%ofspiderspecies,theAraneomorphae,alsoknownasthe"truespiders",includeorb
webspiders,thecursorialwolfspiders,andjumpingspiders,[73]aswellastheonlyknownherbivorousspider,Bagheera
kiplingi.[36]Theyaredistinguishedbyhavingfangsthatopposeeachotherandcrossinapinchingaction,incontrasttothe
Mygalomorphae,whichhavefangsthatarenearlyparallelinalignment.[80]
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Leucaugevenusta,
anorbwebspider
Spidersandpeople
Spiderbites
Mainarticle:Spiderbite
Althoughspidersarewidelyfeared,onlyafewspeciesaredangerousto
people.[82]Spiderswillonlybitehumansinselfdefense,andfewproduceworse
effectsthanamosquitobiteorbeesting.[83]Mostofthosewithmedicallyserious
bites,suchasreclusespidersandwidowspiders,wouldratherfleeandbiteonly
whentrapped,althoughthiscaneasilyarisebyaccident.[84][85]Funnelwebspiders'
defensivetacticsincludefangdisplayandtheirvenom,althoughtheyrarelyinject
much,hasresultedin13knownhumandeathsover50years.[86]Theyhavebeen
deemedtobetheworld'smostdangerousspidersonclinicalandvenomtoxicity
grounds,[82]thoughthisclaimhasalsobeenattributedtotheBrazilianwandering
spider,duetomuchmorefrequentaccidents.[87]
Therewereabout100reliablyreporteddeathsfromspiderbitesinthe20th
Allsymptomsassociatedwith
century,[88]comparedtoabout1,500fromjellyfishstings.[89]Manyallegedcasesof toxicspiderbites[81]
spiderbitesmayrepresentincorrectdiagnoses,[90]whichwouldmakeitmore
difficulttochecktheeffectivenessoftreatmentsforgenuinebites.[91]
Benefitstohumans
Spidervenomsmaybealesspollutingalternativetoconventionalpesticides,as
theyaredeadlytoinsectsbutthegreatmajorityareharmlesstovertebrates.
Australianfunnelwebspidersareapromisingsource,asmostoftheworld'sinsect
pestshavehadnoopportunitytodevelopanyimmunitytotheirvenom,andfunnel
webspidersthriveincaptivityandareeasyto"milk".Itmaybepossibletotarget
specificpestsbyengineeringgenesfortheproductionof
spidertoxinsintovirusesthatinfectspeciessuchascottonbollworms.[92]
Cookedtarantulaspidersare
TheCh'olMayauseabeveragecreatedfromthetarantulaspeciesBrachypelma
consideredadelicacyinCambodia.
vagansforthetreatmentofaconditiontheyterm'tarantulawind',thesymptomsof
whichincludechestpain,asthmaandcoughing.[93]
Possiblemedicalusesforspidervenomsarebeinginvestigated,forthetreatmentofcardiacarrhythmia,[94]Alzheimer's
disease,[95]strokes,[96]anderectiledysfunction.[97]ThepeptideGsMtx4,foundinthevenomofBrachypelmavagans,is
beingresearchedtodeterminewhetherornotitcouldeffectivelybeusedforthetreatmentofcardiacarrhythmia,muscular
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dystrophyorglioma.[98]Becausespidersilkisbothlightandverystrong,attemptsarebeingmadetoproduceitingoats'
milkandintheleavesofplants,bymeansofgeneticengineering.[99][100]
Spiderscanalsobeusedasfood.CookedtarantulaspidersareconsideredadelicacyinCambodia,[101]andby
thePiaroaIndiansofsouthernVenezuelaprovidedthehighlyirritanthairs,thespiders'maindefensesystem,are
removedfirst.[102]
Arachnophobia
Mainarticle:Arachnophobia
Arachnophobiaisaspecificphobiaitistheabnormalfearofspidersoranythingreminiscentofspiders,suchaswebsor
spiderlikeshapes.Itisoneofthemostcommonspecificphobias,[103][104]andsomestatisticsshowthat50%ofwomenand
10%ofmenshowsymptoms.[105]Itmaybeanexaggeratedformofaninstinctiveresponsethathelpedearlyhumansto
survive,[106]oraculturalphenomenonthatismostcommoninpredominantlyEuropeansocieties.[107]
Spidersinsymbolismandculture
Mainarticle:Culturaldepictionsofspiders
Spidershavebeenthefocusofstoriesandmythologiesofvariousculturesfor
centuries.[108]Theyhavesymbolizedpatienceduetotheirhuntingtechniqueof
settingwebsandwaitingforprey,aswellasmischiefandmaliceduetotheir
venomousbites.[109]TheItaliantarantellaisadancetoridtheyoungwomanofthe
lustfuleffectsofaspiderbite.
Webspinningalsocausedtheassociationofthespiderwithcreationmyths,asthey
seemtohavetheabilitytoproducetheirownworlds.[110]Dreamcatchersare
depictionsofspiderwebs.TheMochepeopleofancientPeruworshipped
nature.[111]Theyplacedemphasisonanimalsandoftendepictedspidersintheir ThisMocheceramicdepictsa
spider,anddatesfromaround300CE.
art.[112]
Seealso
Endangeredspiders
Arthropodsportal
Identifyingspiders
Spiderdiversity
Arachnidism
Toxins
Listofanimalsthatproducesilk
Footnotes
1.^ a b c d"Currentlyvalidspidergeneraand 4.^Meehan,ChristopherJ.Olson,EricJ.Reudink,Matthew
species" .WorldSpiderCatalog.NaturalHistoryMuseum W.Kyser,T.KurtCurry,RobertL.(2009)."Herbivoryina
Bern.Retrieved20161219. spiderthroughexploitationofanantplant
2.^SebastinPA&PeterKV(eds.).(2009)SpidersofIndia . mutualism".CurrentBiology.19(19):R892
UniversitiesPress/OrientBlackswan.ISBN978817371641 3.doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.08.049 .PMID19825348 .
6 5.^ a b c Ruppert,554555
3.^Foelix,RainerF.(1996).BiologyofSpiders.198Madison 6.^ a bRuppert,518522
Ave.NY,NewYork,10016:OxfordUniversityPress. 7.^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o pq r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac adae af ag
p.3.ISBN0195095936. 571584
8.^ a b c d e f gRuppert,559564
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22.^Barnes,R.S.K.,Calow,P.,Olive,P.,Golding,D.,and 38.^Schtz,D.&Taborsky,M.(2003)."Adaptationstoan
Spicer,J.(2001)."InvertebrateswithLegs:theArthropods aquaticlifemayberesponsibleforthereversedsexualsize
andSimilarGroups".TheInvertebrates:ASynthesis . dimorphisminthewaterspider,Argyroneta
BlackwellPublishing.p.168.ISBN0632047615. aquatica" (PDF) .EvolutionaryEcologyResearch.5(1):
105117.Retrieved20081011.
23.^ a bWeihmann,TomGnther,MichaelBlickhan,Reinhard
(20120215)."HydraulicLegExtensionIsNotNecessarily 39.^Coddington,J.&Sobrevila,C.(1987)."Webmanipulation
theMainDriveinLargeSpiders" .TheJournalof andtwostereotypedattackbehaviorsintheogrefaced
ExperimentalBiology.215(4):578 spiderDeinopisspinosusMarx(Araneae,
583.doi:10.1242/jeb.054585 .ISSN00220949 . Deinopidae)" (PDF) .JournalofArachnology.15:213225.
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24.^Parry,D.A.&Brown,R.H.J.(1959)."TheHydraulic 40.^Eberhard,W.G.(1977)."AggressiveChemicalMimicryby
MechanismoftheSpiderLeg" (PDF) .Journalof aBolasSpider" (PDF) .Science.198(4322):1173
ExperimentalBiology.36(2):423433. 1175.Bibcode:1977Sci...198.1173E .doi:10.1126/science.
Retrieved20080925. 198.4322.1173 .PMID17818935 .Retrieved20081010.
25.^Ruppert,325349 41.^Eberhard,W.G.(1980)."TheNaturalHistoryandBehavior
26.^Vollrath,F.&Knight,D.P.(2001)."Liquidcrystalline oftheBolasSpider,Mastophoradizzydeanisp.n.
0 .PMID11279484 . 42.^Yeargan,K.V.&Quate,L.W.(1997)."Adultmalebolas
spidersretainjuvenilehuntingtactics".Oecologia.112(4):
27.^TarantulasShootSilkfromTheirFeet
572576.doi:10.1007/s004420050347 .
28.^Ruppert,537539
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67.^Selden,P.A.&Shear,W.A.(December2008)."Fossil 78.^Penney,D.&Selden,P.A.Deltshev,C.&Stoev,P.,
evidencefortheoriginofspider eds."EuropeanArachnology2005" (PDF) .ActaZoologica
spinnerets" .PNAS.105(52):20781 Bulgarica.SupplementNo.1:2539.
5.Bibcode:2008PNAS..10520781S .doi:10.1073/pnas.080 Retrieved20081013.|contribution=ignored(help)
9174106 .PMC2634869 .PMID19104044 . 79.^"NaturalhistoryofMygalomorphae" .Agricultural
68.^Selden,P.A.ChungKunShihDongRen(2011)."A ResearchCouncilofNewZealand.Retrieved20081013.
goldenorbweaverspider(Araneae:Nephilidae:Nephila) 80.^Foelix,RainerF.BiologyofSpiders(2nded.).NewYork:
fromtheMiddleJurassicofChina" .BiologyLetters.7(5): OxfordUniversityPress.pp.45.ISBN0199734828.
7758.doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0228 .PMC3169061 81.^SpiderBiteSymptomsandFirstAid ByRodBrouhard,
.PMID21508021 . About.com.Updated:October19,2008
69.^Selden,P.A.(1996)."Fossilmesothele 82.^ a bVetter,RichardS.Isbister,GeoffreyK.(2008).
spiders".Nature.379(6565):498 "MedicalAspectsofSpiderBites".AnnualReviewof
499.Bibcode:1996Natur.379..498S .doi:10.1038/379498b Entomology.53:409
0 . 29.doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.53.103106.093503 .PMID1
70.^J.W.Shultz(2007)."Aphylogeneticanalysisofthe 7877450 .
arachnidordersbasedonmorphological 83.^"Spiders" .IllinoisDepartmentofPublicHealth.
characters".ZoologicalJournaloftheLinneanSociety.150: Retrieved20081011.
221265.doi:10.1111/j.10963642.2007.00284.x . 84.^VetterRS,BargerDK(2002)."Aninfestationof2,055
71.^ a b c dShultz,J.W.(2007)."Aphylogeneticanalysisofthe brownreclusespiders(Araneae:Sicariidae)andno
arachnidordersbasedonmorphological envenomationsinaKansashome:implicationsforbite
characters".ZoologicalJournaloftheLinnean diagnosesinnonendemicareas".JournalofMedical
Society.150(2):221265.doi:10.1111/j.1096 Entomology.39(6):94851.doi:10.1603/00222585
3642.2007.00284.x . 39.6.948 .PMID12495200 .
72.^Gould,S.J.(1990).WonderfulLife:TheBurgessShale 85.^Hannum,C.&Miller,D.M."WidowSpiders" .
andtheNatureofHistory.HutchinsonRadius.pp.102106 DepartmentofEntomology,VirginiaTech.
[105].ISBN0091742714. Retrieved20081011.
73.^ a b c d e fCoddington,J.A.(2005)."Phylogenyand 86.^"Funnelwebspiders" .AustralianVenomResearchUnit.
ClassificationofSpiders".InUbick,D.Paquin,P.Cushing, Retrieved20081011.
P.E.Roth,V.SpidersofNorthAmerica:anidentification 87.^"Pubchefbittenbydeadlyspider" .BBC.20050427.
manual (PDF) .AmericanArachnologicalSociety.pp.18 Retrieved20081011.
24.ISBN0977143902.Retrieved20081012. 88.^Diaz,J.H.(August1,2004)."TheGlobalEpidemiology,
74.^ a bLeroy,J&Leroy,A.(2003)."Howspiders SyndromicClassification,Management,andPreventionof
function".SpidersofSouthernAfrica .Struik.pp.15 SpiderBites" .AmericanJournalofTropicalMedicineand
21.ISBN1868729443. Hygiene.71(2):239250.PMID15306718 .
75.^Ono,H.(2002)."NewandRemarkableSpidersofthe 89.^Williamson,J.A.,Fenner,P.J.,Burnett,J.W.,andRifkin,
FamiliesLiphistiidae,Argyronetidae,Pisauridae,Theridiidae J.(1996).VenomousandPoisonousMarineAnimals:A
andAraneidae(Arachnida)fromJapan" .Bulletinofthe MedicalandBiologicalHandbook .UNSWPress.pp.65
NationalScienceMuseum(ofJapan),SeriesA.28(1):51 8.ISBN0868402796.
60. 90.^Nishioka,SdeA.(2001)."Misdiagnosisofbrownrecluse
76.^Coyle,F.A.(1986)."TheRoleofSilkinPreyCapture".In spiderbite" .WesternJournalofMedicine.174(4):
Shear,W.A.Spiderswebs,behavior,andevolution. 240.doi:10.1136/ewjm.174.4.240 .PMC1071344
StanfordUniversityPress.pp.272273.ISBN080471203 .PMID11290673 .
4. 91.^IsbisterGK(2001)."Spidermythologyacrossthe
77.^Forster,R.R.&Platnick,N.I.(1984)."Areviewofthe world" .WesternJournalofMedicine.175(4):86
archaeidspidersandtheirrelatives,withnotesonthelimits 7.doi:10.1136/ewjm.175.2.86 .PMC1071491
ofthesuperfamilyPalpimanoidea(Arachnida,Araneae)" .PMID11483545 .
(abstract) .BulletinoftheAmericanMuseumofNatural 92.^"SpiderVenomCouldYieldEcoFriendlyInsecticides" .
History.178:1106.Retrieved20081013.Fulltextat"A NationalScienceFoundation(USA).Retrieved20081011.
reviewofthearchaeidspidersandtheirrelatives" (PDF) .
Retrieved20081013.(60MB)
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Bibliography
DeelemanReinhold,ChristaL.(2001).ForestSpidersofSouthEastAsia:WithaRevisionoftheSacandGround
Spiders.BrillPublishers.ISBN9004119590.
Ruppert,E.E.,Fox,R.S.andBarnes,R.D.(2004).InvertebrateZoology(7ed.).Brooks/Cole.ISBN0030259827.
Furtherreading
Bilger,Burkhard(5March2007)."SpiderWoman" .TheNewYorker.AReporteratLarge(column):6673.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider 21/22
2/23/2017 SpiderWikipedia
Bristowe,W.S.(1976).TheWorldofSpiders.TaplingerPublishingCompany.ISBN080088598
8.OCLC256272177 .
Crompton,John(1950).TheLifeoftheSpider.NewYork:Mentor.OCLC1979220 .
Hillyard,Paul(1994).TheBookoftheSpider:FromArachnophobiatotheLoveofSpiders.NewYork:Random
House.ISBN0679408819.OCLC35231232 .
Kaston,B.J.ElizabethKaston(1953).HowtoKnowtheSpidersPicturedKeysforDeterminingtheMoreCommon
Spiders,withSuggestionsforCollectingandStudyingThem(1sted.).Dubuque,Iowa:W.C.Brown
Company.OCLC628203833 .
Main,BarbaraYork(1975).Spiders.Sydney:Collins.ISBN0002114437.OCLC123151744 .
Wise,DavidA.(1993).SpidersinEcologicalWebs.Cambridgestudiesinecology.Cambridge,UK:CambridgeUniversity
Press.ISBN0521325471.OCLC25833874 .
Externallinks
Spiders atDMOZ
Findmoreabout
PicturestoryaboutthejumpingspiderAelurillusvinsignitus Spider
atWikipedia'ssisterprojects
NewMexicoStateUniversity"TheSpidersoftheAridSouthwest"
OnlineVideosofJumpingSpiders(Salticids)andotherarachnids
DefinitionsfromWiktionary
listoffieldguidestospiders ,fromtheInternationalFieldGuidesdatabase
Spiderhunts onYouTube MediafromCommons
NewsfromWikinews
QuotationsfromWikiquote
TextsfromWikisource
TextbooksfromWikibooks
Learningresourcesfrom
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