Spiders are fascinating (and sometimes scary) creatures of nature. Whether you are raising bug-loving children yourself or teaching environmental studies to them, here are some interesting spider facts that are sure to spark their curiosity and connect them with nature.
Like most arachnids, spiders cannot chew their food; therefore they use chemicals on and in it to turn it into liquid before sucking it up with their suction cups. Furthermore, spiders use their legs and sense organs to detect vibrations, smells and air currents.
They’re not insects
Although spiders share many features with insects, such as an exoskeleton and closed circulatory system, they do not belong to the same class of arthropods: Insecta. Instead, spiders belong to their own subclass known as Arachnida.
Insects make up one of the largest groups of animals on Earth, living in every climate and environment on our planet. Thanks to their ability to fly, insects have spread across numerous habitats around our world as a form of colonization and expansion. Furthermore, insects serve as predators of both other insects as well as plant life species.
Spiders, on the other hand, are non-flying predators capable of gathering food by scavenging and creating their own habitats. Spiders have evolved to thrive in various environments such as deserts, tundra, tropical lowland forests and deserts while feeding on anything from birds, bats, reptiles and fish to other spiders themselves.
Though some might perceive them as pests, spiders are natural predators of insects and small animals that feed off them, which helps control insect populations while providing valuable food resources for themselves and the ecosystem at large. Furthermore, their role is extremely valuable in terms of protecting crops and plants against damage by pests that threaten them.
Spiders use two extra pairs of appendages located between their legs known as chelicerae to ingest food, sometimes modified into fangs in male spiders. Furthermore, digestive enzymes help liquefy and grind up food before being swallowed whole into their bodies through pedipalps positioned just underneath their bodies.
Spiders stand out as notable creatures due to their acute awareness of vibrations. Their sensing organs enable them to detect these vibrations through tiny bristles scattered over their body surface that act as sensitive tactile receptors – this allows them to sense prey movement within their webs as well as changes in airflow.
They’re arachnids
People often mistake a spider for an insect; however, this is incorrect. Spiders are actually arachnids and differ significantly from insects in several ways: having only two body sections instead of three; eight legs rather than six; simple eyes (rather than complex lenses like insects); body divided into two sections: head/thorax fuse together into cephalothorax with mouthparts/eyes connected by pedicle to abdomen which contains silk spinning organs/reproductive openings as well as breathing organs such as book lungs/tracheae.
Spiders cannot chew their food, so instead they use a tiny proboscis to siphon off liquid components of prey that they catch. This allows them to consume their webs while walking without sticking, as well as sliding across surfaces via bristled exoskeletons that protect them.
Most spiders possess multiple sets of eyes in various configurations, from light/dark receptors to eyesight similar to that of a pigeon (in jumping spiders). Hunting spiders boast excellent vision; some species even possess color-seeing eyes! Additionally, these arthropods possess one of the most centralised nervous systems among arthropods and use hydraulic pressure to extend their legs. Most spiders utilize either book lungs or tracheal systems for breathing, depending on their group. Most mygalomorph spiders possess two sets of book lungs filled with haemolymph and openings on the ventral surface of their abdomens for mygalomorph spiders; on the other hand, basal araneomorphs possess only an anterior pair while both posterior book lungs may be partially or fully converted to tracheae that diffuse oxygen into their haemolymph and tissues.
They’re not venomous
Contrary to popular belief, spiders aren’t poisonous – in fact, some species can even be beneficial. Spiders play a vital part in ecosystem and help reduce pesticide usage that threatens crops and garden plants.
There are over 43,000 types of spiders worldwide. While some species can be hazardous to human lives, less than 30 species have ever caused any fatalities. Many dangers arise from misinterpretation of spider venom that is designed to work against smaller animals; although it can result in painful skin lesions in humans it typically does not lead to fatalities.
Spiders produce silk for themselves and to capture prey, with some species even spinning webs to do this. Their silk has comparable tensile strength to high-grade alloy steel. Female spiders in certain species construct silken sacs around their eggs to protect them during development.
Spiders are prolific predators that prey upon various insects and soft-bodied invertebrates, such as insects or soft bodied invertebrates. Spiders subdue their prey by biting it and injecting venom via fangs – this method works especially well because spiders lack chewing mouthparts but have small proboscises instead which they use to sucking up liquid parts of prey from their victims’ bodies.
Spider eyes come in various arrangements; most species possess either six (Haplogynae), eight (Plectreuridae), or four eyes (Caponiidae). Some spider species lack eyes altogether while others possess those capable of sensing color.
Spiders have long held an alluring allure for scientists and other observers due to their unique adaptations. Venom from spiders has been used in medical research while silk has been employed in product development that are lighter, stronger and more elastic. Furthermore, their long lifespan enables researchers to conduct laboratory tests repeatedly on them – providing another benefit for researches.
They’re not poisonous
Spiders use silk threads to weave webs that they use for hunting, mating and protection. Spider silk has one of the strongest materials ever discovered – its tensile strength rivals high-grade alloy steel! While some people may fear spiders, there’s no need for worry as these insects are harmless creatures – no poison is known to exist in their bite.
Though most spiders are harmless, a small minority possess venom glands which they use to inject poison into prey in order to paralyze it before eating it. Spider venom also serves to protect themselves from predators – including humans – as it serves to stop bites being harmfully administered; the good news being that most spiders cannot recognize humans as potential prey and therefore usually do not present a threat from bites of this kind.
Only one species, the black widow spider, can kill humans with one bite; its neurotoxins cause muscle spasms and stroke-like conditions in humans. Another dangerous spider species known as brown recluse contains cytotoxins which damage cells; both species are rarely found in Iowa.
All other spiders are nonvenomous and pose no significant health risks to humans. Instead, they contribute greatly to ecosystem by controlling pests such as flies and cockroaches while also helping aerate soil for plants and animals to flourish in. Insects also eat spiders as food source while birds and lizards use spiders as food.
While certain spiders, such as the social huntsman, have caused biologists to reconsider what constitutes sociality, most do not. Instead, they live in diverse habitats and form colonies of hundreds or even thousands of individuals.
They’re not afraid of light
Some spiders have evolved to be less afraid of light. These nocturnal spiders, commonly referred to as nocturnal hunters, come out at night to hunt prey. By hunting at night rather than during the day they can avoid predators that may be active during the day and take advantage of tired prey that have run all day long.
Light can sometimes disorient nocturnal spiders, leading them down the wrong path and disorienting them as their sense of orientation is altered by light exposure. Since they’re used to inhabiting darkness, light disrupts this sense of directionality that helps guide their lives.
As a result, they may not be able to catch their prey. However, nocturnal spiders are attracted to dim light sources like night lights and porch lights; especially computer and phone screens as their blue light emits wavelengths which these spiders find appealing.
The Bolas Spider is another prime example of this phenomenon, producing a pheromone which attracts male moths to its web and then trapping them using sticky bolas pheromone traps. This method is highly resource-effective in hunting insects while using minimal resources.
Scientists don’t fully understand what motivates nocturnal spiders to be less fearful of light, but it may be an evolutionary response to environmental changes. Increased illumination in cities and towns forces these spiders to adapt their hunting strategies in order to survive; those surviving better than their rural counterparts are likely to pass their skills onto offspring who can also thrive there – over time giving urban arachnids an advantage in survival over rural counterparts.