Creepy Crawly Spiders!
Spiders have adapted to live and thrive in nearly every type of habitat and their ranks include some of the most diverse species on earth. They play vital roles in all ecosystems – except in your home.
All Spiders Produce Silk
Something common to all 40,000 species of spiders is that they all spin silk. Each spider can produce up to seven different types, each used for a different purpose, including creating webs and capturing prey.
One Species of Spider is Mostly Vegetarian
It was thought that all spiders were carnivorous, capturing and eating other insects, but one species in Central America has been found to be mostly herbivorous, the Bagheera kiplingi!
Spiders are Nearsighted
Most spiders have eight eyes, but some, like the brown recluse spider, only have six. Spiders typically have a main set that can create images, while the secondary sets only detect light and shadow. Spiders cannot see things at a distance, but being nearsighted isn’t a deficiency for them. They wait for prey to get caught in their webs and use silk trip wires to warn of approaching predators.
Females Can Lay Up to 3,000 Eggs at One Time!
These eggs are housed in one or more silk sacs. The level of care a female spider provides for her young varies by species. Some females will die shortly after laying eggs, while others will carry spiderlings on their backs or share prey with them.
Jumping Spiders Can Jump up to 50x Their Own Length
When hunting or trying to escape a predator, jumping spiders are able to make very agile movements and jump multiple times their body length, due to an internal hydraulic system.
The Daddy Long Legs You See May Not Actually be a Spider!
The nickname ‘daddy long-legs’ has been given to several different pests, only one of which is an actual spider. Crane flies, harvestmen and cellar spiders are all colloquially identified as ‘daddy long-legs,’ but only cellar spiders are “true” spiders. Harvestmen are in the arachnid family, but they lack venom and silk glands. Crane flies are agricultural pests with very long legs and the ability to fly.
Please call The Aardvark at first signs of a problem. Some species are poisonous to humans and should be handled by a professional.