Is a spider an insect or not: the structure and significance of animals in nature

Spiders in Latin are Araneae, Aranei. They belong to the animal kingdom, the phylum of arthropods, the class of arachnids. There are 42 thousand modern species of spiders in the world, about 1.1 thousand fossils. They are widespread, inhabiting almost all continents of the globe. Obligate carnivores - feed on insects, small animals, and amphibians. An exception is the jumping spider Bagheera kiplingi, whose diet consists of the green part of the acacia tree. On the territory of Russia and the former CIS countries there are 2888 species. The science of spiders is called arachnology.

Description of the spider

The spider is the most ancient creature on the planet. It is much older than humans; these organisms arose in advance. The remains of vital activity, spider webs, were discovered in the structure of amber, which is 100 million years old.

Arachnids lived on the globe back in the Paleozoic era, and this was 2.5 billion years ago. During this period, these creatures practically did not change in appearance.

To understand who spiders are, it is worth considering their features and description of their appearance. They have 6 pairs of limbs. However, the person notices 4 pairs. This is due to the fact that the first 4 limbs are transformed into organs of nutrition and touch.

The body of arthropods is divided into two parts - the cephalothorax and abdomen. They are connected using a short jumper;
the cephalothorax is divided by a groove into the head and thoracic parts;
on the chest part there are the limbs of the spider, due to which it moves and weaves a web;
on the surface of the head there are two pairs of limbs, eyes and a mouth opening.

The number of eyes may vary. Most arthropods have 8 visual organs. But in individuals living in the darkness of caves, they may be absent.

How do they breathe

Respiratory system of spiders
Depending on the species, spiders may have the following variations of the respiratory system:

one pair of lungs;
two pairs of lungs;
a pair of lungs and a pair of tracheas;
pairs of sieve and tubular tracheas;
pair of sieve tracheas.

Getting inside the spider through special holes, oxygen is transported through the hemolymph to the respiratory organs with the help of hemocyanin. The lung sacs are located in the front of the abdomen. They saturate the body with oxygen through the circulatory system. Also behind the pulmonary sacs are bundles of tracheae, which are small tubes. They exit through a single breathing hole. During exhalation, the spider releases the resulting carbon dioxide into space.

Why are people afraid of spiders

In science, a pathological fear of arachnids is called arachnophobia. The disease is accompanied by severe attacks of fear that develop when meeting individuals of any size.

Attacks may be accompanied by fainting, headaches, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and a desire to run away from the animal. Experts have found out an interesting fact about patients with a similar deviation - many of them are not able to explain their fear.

In many cases, arachnophobia is a consequence of experiences with arachnids that a person had in childhood. Today, deviation is considered the most common and difficult to treat phobia.

Is a spider an insect or not?

Many people wonder whether a spider actually is an insect or an animal. Most will immediately answer that it is an insect, but this is not the case. Even if in appearance this organism looks like crawling small inhabitants, it is in no way related to them and has distinctive features.

They are animals; among the inhabitants of the fauna they are classified as invertebrates. These are arthropods that have jointed limbs, a hard chitinous cover, which is a hard exoskeleton.

Therefore, the question arises why spiders are not insects and animals. And also interested in what exactly connects mammals, what common features they have with insects and differences from them. This is worth considering carefully.

General signs

The family of spiders and insects share some common characteristics. This is due to the fact that arachnids belong to the class of arthropods.

They have the following characteristic qualities:

creatures have a chitinous skeleton to which muscles are attached;
the structure of the eye in arthropods is formed from many ocelli; it is often called facet;
females reproduce by laying eggs.

Main differences

To understand what a spider is - an animal or an insect, it is worth carefully considering its main characteristics.

spiders have 8 legs, and insects have 2 fewer;
Insects have 3 body segments, and arachnids have 2;
spiders are able to weave webs;
In nature, insects have a huge number of species and subspecies;
arthropods produce poison, which is required for external digestion of food;
unlike insects, arachnids do not have metamorphism (transformation) in their life cycle;
The communication system and nervous system of insects is much more complex than that of arthropods.

Silk nets

Almost all arachnids produce webs, but some do not weave webs from them. These protein strands are used for climbing, hunting, reproduction, protection and other needs of the animal. If you look at a frozen web, it may seem that it is monolithic, but in fact it can be 3-4 separate threads that stuck together when drying.

Surprisingly, the webs are so strong that some spiders use them for travel . One end of the thread is attached to a tree branch, and the animal hangs on the other end and, with the help of the wind, sometimes moves for many kilometers. It is interesting that the owner disposes of the unnecessary network - simply eats it.

Spiders treat insects as food; some large specimens are capable of catching and eating even bats, small birds or small fish.

Some species of spiders have a unique hunting technique, it all depends on the diversity of the fauna around them

Representatives of the orb weaver class catch fish by weaving a kind of fishing net from a web. These creatures hunt prey in very different ways:

spiders that live in holes jump out of them to catch a passing or flying victim;
some, having placed sticky snares, sit in ambush on plants, tree bark, under stones and wait for the victim to fall into their clutches;
more active individuals go in search of prey on their own.

All spiders are carnivores. Their digestion begins long before food enters the stomach. Some representatives inject enzymes directly into the body of the victim, others first break the food with their jaws. Partially digested food is absorbed into the intestines.

Disputes on the topic “are spiders insects, and if not, then why” arise to this day. Although there are huge differences between these groups of living organisms.

In fairness, it should be noted that until the middle of the last century, these classes were indeed united by one biological type.

Signs of insects

The insect's body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen. The head consists of five fused segments. There are antennas on the head with receptors for touch and smell. The eyes are compounded, that is, they consist of many simple ocelli. There are mouthparts for chewing food.

The chest includes segments: anterior, middle and posterior. Each segment carries a pair of motor limbs. In addition, the middle and hind ones each include a pair of wings: chitinized elytra and, in fact, wings. The abdomen also consists of segments, on the sides of which paired respiratory openings open.

Interesting facts about spiders

Unusual facts about spiders will amaze many who do not yet know about these creatures. But they conceal many mysteries, secrets, and have unique features that other organisms living on the globe do not have.

Let's look at 15 interesting facts about spiders:

The web is not only a trap for insects, it is capable of deflecting several millimeters in order to grab and stick an insect to itself. This phenomenon is carried out due to a static charge, which appears during the flight of the insect.
The bite of the Brazilian wandering spider is not always fatal, but it often causes impotence in men.
With the help of its limbs, the spider can determine what has reached it in the web. But edible or inedible helps him establish the olfactory organs, which are located on his legs.
The animal has a durable shell. Its strength can withstand a nuclear explosion.
The web is very light. If you take a spider thread the length of the earth's equator, then its weight will be only 340 grams.
Spider web is considered a powerful and durable material. If its thickness is increased to the thickness of a pencil, then such a web could stop a Boeing. In New Guinea, fishermen use this material to catch fish, and in South America there are spider web bridges that support monkeys.
The lifespan of arthropods is 30 years. But they rarely die of old age.
At one time, the female can lay up to 20 thousand eggs, from which spiders hatch.
In nature, there are varieties of spiders that, after being born, eat their mother.
There are varieties of arachnids in which the brain occupies the largest part of the body, so other organs are forced to be located on the legs. The smaller the spider, the larger its brain.
In the Netherlands there are more spiders than people. For 15 million human population there are 5 thousand billion arthropods.
In Cambodia, people enjoy eating tarantula spiders. They are also brought up at home, they learn to dance, and play willingly. And if necessary, they can protect the owner.
There are types of spiders that do not weave webs - the jumping spider, the lynx spider. They do not catch prey with webs, but hunt it.
Tarantulas can live without food for about two years.
The gladiator got its name due to the fact that it weaves a web in a square. He does not leave her until the prey falls into her; he himself abruptly throws the net on her, thereby leaving no chance to escape.

Small pets

I hope you're not eating right now?

I suddenly remembered a very unappetizing topic. Whoever deigns to have a meal, forgive me, velmi.

If you are lucky enough to never encounter domestic insects, I sincerely envy you.

Contrary to the saying, the story of my acquaintance with small parasites began as a comedy. From cockroaches.

No matter how scary and disgusting these little animals may look, they are generally harmless. Therefore, many people get used to them and live with them.

I met them in a rented apartment.

Cockroaches, stsuko, stupid and fearless. Unlike everyone else, it costs them nothing to run across the room diagonally, from corner to corner. It’s such a fucking feeling that if you get in the way of a cockroach, it will run all over you from your feet to the top of your head and back and stomp on about its cockroach business. In addition, they do not bite, since they are not at all interested in humans as food. But they are very interested in what a person eats.

From the very first day, my attitude towards these six-legged indifferences changed from funny to bloodthirsty.

After the first disinfestation, it turned out that the cockroaches are tenacious and prolific, like the Chinese. After the second and third, much more successful, it turned out that they had territorial settlement and the memory of their ancestors. In short, if cockroaches live in one apartment, they live in the whole house. If you don’t have them in your apartment yet, this is temporary. There are holes.

After the fourth, to which all the residents of the house, without exception, joined (oooh, that’s a different story - how they caught and convinced people who don’t give a damn, drunks, tenants and landlords, pensioners and other colors of the Russian outback) - it turned out that the main nest of creeping creatures was in blue and green supermarket on the ground floor. Unfortunately or fortunately, I did not see the end of the war, which had already dragged on for months, because I simply moved away from the scene of hostilities.

The second episode of this blockbuster is more of a drama. Bedbugs. How much of this word.

I was visiting a friend when suddenly a tiny round bug crawled across my hand. With a mechanical click, I sent him flying towards the window. But he managed to bite. The bite site quickly became itchy and noticeably swollen.

Arriving home and sitting in the toilet to think, I suddenly noticed another similar bug on my sleeve. Or maybe the same thing (Deja vu means a glitch in the Matrix©).

Two weeks later I saw the bug again. Then again, again and again. A month later we started seeing each other every day. After another one, not even an hour passed without another bloodsucker crawling all over me.

Living with bedbugs is constant stress. At any moment, a quiet bloodsucker can crawl out of any crack in the house and silently head in your direction. Is your hand on the sofa? Be ready to crush the parasite on it at any moment. Is your foot on the floor? Ay-ay-ay, how short-sighted! I hope you have time to bend over backwards while carrying a tray of food without spilling anything?

Have you decided to sleep? Well, go to sleep if you can. But at any moment, small paws can crawl over any part of your body, even when dressed and covered with a blanket. Hush, Little Baby, Do not Say a Word.

When I said that cockroaches are tenacious, it was an insult to the tenacity of bedbugs.

I couldn't move out of the apartment because it was mine. Therefore, I poisoned these creatures in various ways sixteen times (!), wasting a fortune on this and never achieving anything. They lived only in my apartment, without disturbing the neighbors. But even the almighty guys from the SES, whom I sent to my home three times, were unable to destroy them all. Eight more times I paid different pest control companies and five more times I tried the most hardcore products available in stores.

This epic ended with my cowardly flight from a superior enemy. I packed my laptop, boiled one bag of clothes and left with the clear confidence that I had not taken a single bloodsucker with me. I ordered the apartment to be sold to a realtor I knew, and the entire interior to be taken out and destroyed.

Already on the train, my thoughts were interrupted by a terribly familiar sensation: small paws were running along my arm again. I jumped right up on the shelf, hitting my head on the trunk, and my heart was beating ten times faster than usual for another good half hour.

This was the last bug I saw in my life.

Already in the new place, for some reason I decided that if any insects were going to live with me, then let them be those whom I myself chose. So the third series was more like a light arthouse.

That's how I got Felix. Mexican red-legged tarantula. I set up a sand and stone hideout for him in an indoor aquarium. He turned out to be a very good-natured and sociable guy. He was not at all afraid of me or my friends, and happily came out to sit on my hand. He didn’t try to run away at all; on the contrary, after a while, “in the wild,” he ran back to the aquarium and disciplinedly waited for me to open the lid.

I fed him the flies I caught with my own hands. My grandfather, a WWII front-line soldier, taught me this method. The fly does not fly vertically upward, but sharply to the side at a low altitude. Therefore, instead of slamming your hand from above, you need to quickly slide it across the surface and quickly clench your fist.

Thus, any fly that foolishly flew towards me quickly became first my prey, and then Felix’s dinner.

Felix died a terrible death, burning in a fire three years later along with his aquarium and half of his apartment.

Since then, not a single insect has lived with me on a permanent basis. And it won’t, because he lives as a furious arachnophobe. Maybe it's for the better.

Source

How to get rid of house spiders

The first step is to remove those insects that serve as food for spiders, which is why it is first necessary to destroy cockroaches, bedbugs, flies and other unpleasant insects. Next, you should remove the cobwebs. It is very convenient to do this with a vacuum cleaner, the bag of which is emptied outside the home after the procedure. You can fight cobwebs with an ordinary broom. However, if there are a large number of arthropods, this may indicate the presence of masonry, which can be gotten rid of using household chemicals - these creatures do not tolerate strong aromas. If possible, surfaces regularly inhabited by arthropods can be painted.

Also, if spiders begin to appear frequently, you can place containers with flavored liquids around the room. Thus, arthropods cannot tolerate the aromas of chestnut, citrus, mint, and eucalyptus. The number of spiders will sharply decrease, and after some time the unpleasant neighbors will leave your home.

However, if the spiders have managed to breed, you will have to purchase special chemicals aimed at destroying them. First of all, these are products based on pyrethroids.

An excellent preventive measure would be to keep the room clean and regularly remove dust and dirt, especially in hard-to-reach places. It is not for nothing that spiders are considered indicators of cleanliness: in those rooms where a lot of them have accumulated, the conditions are far from complete sanitation.

Species and subspecies

Answering the question of what kinds of spiders there are, it is worth noting that these creatures are divided into species and subspecies, which have some distinctive features.

In nature, there are about 35 thousand species of archanids or arachnids, which differ in appearance.

Different types of spiders have characteristic forms of life activity, which include reproduction, feeding habits, habitat in natural conditions, and size.

their body consists of two parts - the abdomen, which can have different shapes, it all depends on the type of arthropod, as well as the cephalothorax;
characterized by the presence of 4 pairs of legs, 2 chelicerae and pelipalps;
spiders do not have whiskers;
the main feature of the creatures is to weave webs for various purposes, and its design may have some peculiarities;
there are poisonous glands, the poison of which has a paralyzing effect on the victim;
prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle. Most females, after fertilization, eat a select few.

It is impossible to know exactly how many spiders there are in the world, because there are many of them.

At one time, a female is capable of laying 15-20 thousand eggs, most of which hatch into spiders, so it is difficult to imagine how many dozens of females can lay and give birth at a time.

The classification combines many types. In nature, there are exotic representatives of arthropods that do not pose a danger to humans; they are preferred as pets.

It is worth paying attention to the dangerous and poisonous breeds of spiders; they inhabit the tropics and other hot areas, for example, deserts.

How many eyes does a spider have?

Spider Eyes
The number of spider eyes varies from 2 to 12 depending on the species, but in most cases there are 8. They are located in such a way that the creature's viewing radius is 360 degrees. Spiders see what is happening around them at about 30 cm. The main task of the visual organs is to notice in time the approach of prey or danger. Also, some types of spiders can distinguish between colors.

In the center of the head is the main pair of eyes, which are larger than the others. With their help, the spider focuses on objects. The lateral eyes are motionless and are needed for additional visibility.

Distribution and habitat

Spider in the forests of Russia Spiders live on all continents except Antarctica. Being invertebrate animals, they cannot control their body temperature and are susceptible to cold, however, in northern Canada, Greenland and northern Russia they get along well.

They are one of the few species of animals that get along well in the highlands. There are certain species that feel great even in an aquatic environment.

The main factor that limits their habitat is the availability of food.

Internal structure

Internal structure of a spider
Spiders have a complex internal structure, and several systems continuously function in their bodies.

central nervous system

Consists of the nervous system and brain. The latter is a collection of ganglia. It is responsible for the functioning of the eyes and perception of the environment. The spider's brain is developed enough to analyze and act not only on instincts, but also on existing experience.

Circulatory system

This system is not closed. The heart is located inside the abdominal cavity; the role of its valves is performed by stomata, which close during pulsations. The circulatory system runs through the entire body and into the limbs.

Digestive system

In the process of eating food, the spider's digestive system begins to work. When a predator pulls fluid from its prey, it ends up in the foregut. In it, part of the liquid is absorbed into the walls, and the rest is transported to the stomach. Spiders also have a liver, which is responsible for breaking down food particles.

What order and class do spiders belong to?

If we talk about what class spiders belong to, then this is the class “arachnids”. It stands apart from all others, which is associated with the characteristic features of the body structure of arthropods.

They have it divided into two parts - the abdomen and the cephalothorax, but in representatives of other classes the body has a slightly different structure.

There is another characteristic difference - the number of legs. Arthropods have 8 of them instead of 6. They have chelicerae, which are located on the front of the cephalothorax.

They also have pedipalps, which look like tentacles. They are located on the sides of the body and perform the same functions as the paws.

These organisms belong to the order Spiders, the family Arthropods. Spiders are often called "archans", this name comes from the name of the suborder to which these creatures belong - Orthognatha.

It is distinguished by species diversity and specific appearance.

This suborder includes spiders called mygalomorphs. The body of representatives of this species is completely covered with short hairs. They prefer to live in dungeons.

The group includes the following species:

tarantulas;
ctenises;
funnel spiders;
diggers.

Food is served, please sit down and eat

Most of us have the opinion that all Chinese eat all sorts of larvae, bugs, cockroaches, bats, etc. every day.

Is this a lie? No. But there is one huge “BUT”.

Such trays with all kinds of “delicacies” can often be found in places where FOREIGN TOURISTS gather. The Chinese don't eat this. That is why many people have an ingrained stereotype about the omnivorous nature of the Chinese. But this is not true at all.

Foreigners try this “for fun”, and the Chinese rapist earns money.

Of these, I myself have tried scorpion, silkworm, some kind of sparrow and something else. I didn't like anything at all. But the taste and color of markers are different, maybe there are true lovers of such food.

But there is another truth. There are a number of exotic foods that the Chinese often eat.

1.Frogs. I tried it myself often. It's sooooo delicious. Of course, they are prepared in restaurants, and not eaten raw from the shelves =)

3. Turtles. I’ll say right away that few species eat. Yet for them this animal has some kind of spiritual, mystical power. Therefore, they eat only a certain type.

4. A variety of seafood. We will never see anything like this in Russia, but it is very delicious.

I can talk about food endlessly =) If you are interested, let me know and I will continue in the same spirit)

What is the body of spiders covered with?

Arachnids are arthropods. The main difference between this type is the articulation of the limbs and the absence of a spine (invertebrates). The exoskeleton (shell) protects and supports the animal’s body. The exoskeleton contains rigid, stable components that perform different functions:

Protective. Prevents the negative impact of environmental factors on the internal organs of the protostomed animal. The opisthosoma of some representatives is covered with many small hairs. When in danger, the arthropod scratches them off and throws them towards a potential attacker. When the mucous membranes and bristles come into contact with the skin, they cause irritation.
Tactile. The exoskeleton is covered with many trichobothria (tactile setae). They are scattered throughout the body, especially on the pedipalps and walking legs. The hairs are attached to the bottom of the pits, in the integument, and are connected to sensitive cells. Hairs react to air vibrations. The spider is able to understand the nature of the stimulus by the intensity of the vibrations.
Musculoskeletal. Ingrowths of the exoskeleton, known as apodemes, serve as sites for muscle attachment. The structures are made of chitin, 6 times stronger and 2 times stiffer than vertebrate tendons. Apodemes are able to stretch to maintain elasticity.
Protection against dehydration. The shell maintains the balance of moisture in the body during environmental temperature changes.

The body of all arthropods, arachnids in particular, is covered with a chitinous shell. The hardest layer is located in the chelicerae and claws, the more elastic one is in the joints of the limbs. Chitin is a glucose derivative, the main component of the cell walls of the exoskeleton. The structure of the polymer is crystalline nanofibrils or whiskers.

In its pure, unchanged form, chitin is transparent, pliable, elastic and quite durable. Some species of arachnids, such as Pholcus phalangioides, are distinguished by a transparent cover. If you hold the animal up to a microscope, you can see the superficial circulatory system.

Class Arachnida

The arachnid class includes about 114 thousand species of spiders, found everywhere. They have adapted to life in land-air and aquatic habitats. It was the arachnids that were the first (in evolutionary terms) to populate the land. According to taxonomy, arachnids belong to the Chelicerae subphylum.

Cross spider

It is no coincidence that the spider received this name: on the dorsal side of the abdomen there are white spots that form a cross, thanks to which it is easily recognizable.

Each spider's web has its own unique pattern; it consists of dry and sticky threads. The spider builds its own web and knows very well which threads are sticky and avoids them. Other animals do not know this secret and therefore get confused easily.

The spider has eight walking legs (four pairs). All representatives of the chelicerate subtype, including the cross spider, are characterized by the absence of antennae: they have neither antennules nor antennae.

The digestive system of arachnids consists of the foregut, midgut and hindgut. The foregut consists of a pharynx, a crop and a sucking stomach, which is equipped with powerful muscles and acts like a rubber bulb. Thanks to its sucking stomach, the spider pulls out the digested organs and tissues of the victim.

In addition to a pair of lung sacs, the spider has a tracheal system. The spider's lung sacs are modified skin outgrowths and have the shape of parallel partitions.

Thanks to the tracheal system, oxygen is delivered to the tissues and organs of the spider, and carbon dioxide is removed from the body.

It should be noted that the developed tracheal system greatly simplifies the structure of the circulatory system, which practically does not participate in the transfer of oxygen. It is for this reason that there are no capillaries and small vessels in the circulatory system.

Thus, the main function of the circulatory system becomes the transport of nutrients to the cells and tissues of the body.

Silver spider (water spider)

This spider fascinates with the way it arranges its home. It is an underwater bell filled with air, which the spider brings on its abdomen, gradually creating an air bubble under water in which it lives. This spider builds a trapping net under water and feeds on small animals that accidentally touch the threads of the trapping net. The spider lies in wait for them, sitting in the bell.

Haymaker

Ticks

I hasten to inform you that ticks do not “jump”. This is a common misconception. The anatomical structure of their limbs excludes the possibility of jumping as such. Most often, ticks climb onto grass 0.5-1 m high and wait for the approach of a warm-blooded animal that touches them: at this moment the tick moves onto the body of an animal or person.

When a tick bites, it is removed from the skin using a special technique. A known technique involves placing the tick in an oil solution. Now it is anatomically clear to you that oil fills the tracheal system through the spiracles and prevents the supply of oxygen to the cells and tissues of the tick. Within a few minutes, the tick dies from hypoxia of internal organs and tissues, which makes it easier to remove it.

The main danger of a tick is not the volume of blood it sucks, but the fact that ticks are often carriers of pathogens of severe infectious diseases. Some time after the bite, a person may become ill with tularemia, taiga encephalitis, or tick-borne typhus.

Scabies itching

An intradermal parasite that causes scabies in humans and other mammals. The entire body of the tick is covered with numerous hairs. Once on the skin, it begins to dig passages in it, which leads to severe itching, which intensifies at night. It feeds on blood and reproduces directly in the skin.

Favorite places for digging: interdigital spaces, axillary fossae, perineal area.

Scorpios

The meaning of arachnids

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Features of reproduction

During the process of active growth, spiders from time to time shed their tight shell, which consists of a chitinous structure. They gradually acquire a new, stronger one.

Over the entire period of their life, they can molt up to 10 times . Spiders are heterosexual individuals, with the female being much larger than the male.

The mating period lasts quite a long time, its season begins in mid-autumn and lasts until early spring. At this time, the male fills the bulbs, which are located at the ends of the pedipalps, with sperm, then he goes in search of the female.

After performing the “mating dance” and fertilization, the male leaves and dies in the subsequent period.

As soon as 2.5 months have passed, the female lays eggs. After 35 days, spiderlings hatch from them and live in the web until the first molt. Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 3-5 years.

Many legs and wings

4 days ago I met a wreck in the forest. Despite the rather warm weather (+13 and sunny weather), the butterfly was shaking. This is probably the last butterfly this year. Yes, the hornet flew by. And I decided to remember summer insects and one spider.

Red Book of the city of Moscow - category 0 (extinct species).

Red Data Book of the Moscow Region - 2nd category (declining species)

Apparently this is a female with a cocoon with small spiderlings

Fly, Tolkunchiki family

Earth bumblebee

more likely

I met all my comrades in the forests and fields in the vicinity of Shchelkovo

Feeding spiders

The spider is considered a predatory creature by nature. Its diet mainly consists of insects, and it can sometimes catch small animals. The exception is the jumping spider; it prefers to eat only plant foods (grass, berries, leaves).

The arthropod hunts using nets that it skillfully weaves from cobwebs. In nature, there are varieties of these creatures that use web shots during hunting, while they hypnotize the prey, leaving it no chance to escape.

Despite the fact that they are considered obligate predators, catching prey on their own, they do not have teeth . To eat prey, they need to dissolve its tissues and make a nutritious broth from it.

For these purposes, spider venom is used; the animal injects it into the victim through hollow chelicerae. This allows you to achieve two goals - killing the prey and obtaining a nutrient solution.

Meaning for humans

Only poisonous spiders are dangerous to humans, but they attack in exceptional cases when they feel threatened. The remaining individuals are safe and even useful. They destroy many harmful insects that spread dangerous diseases. Animals living in earthen burrows loosen the soil.

In many countries, scientists use arachnid venom to make medicines. In laboratories, experts are trying to artificially produce spider web, which is a very durable material.

Place in nature

Spiders are an important and irreplaceable part of the ecosystem. They are of great importance and perform important functions:

When feeding on a variety of insects, regulate their quantity;
They themselves are food for many animals.

Among those who eat spiders:

insects (mantises, blackbirds, scolopendras, wasps);
spiders (representatives of some species feed on their own species);
reptiles (snakes, lizards);
amphibians (toads, frogs);
small mammals (hedgehogs, rats, mice, noses).

And, of course, birds eat spiders, some of which rely on arachnids as their main food.

Scorpios

They hunt mainly at night. There are more than 1,500 species in the world. About 15 species are found on the territory of the former USSR. Among them:

Italian scorpion (body length up to 5 cm) - lives on the Black Sea coast;
Mingrelian scorpion - from the shores of the Black Sea it spreads along the banks of rivers inland;
Crimean - found on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula;
thick-tailed scorpion - the largest, up to 10 cm long;
The motley scorpion lives in the Volga region, Transcaucasia, and Kazakhstan.

Scorpion venom is neurotropic in nature. The toxic proteins contained in it lead to disruption of the functioning of various systems and organs.

The bite is accompanied by severe burning pain, which either subsides or intensifies. Over time, the pain turns into a burning sensation. After 40 minutes, swelling forms at the sting site with a clearly visible dark dot in the center of the bite. Blisters with serous filling may form.

The time period for symptoms to appear ranges from 5 minutes to 24 hours. The headache is growing. Dizziness, convulsive muscle contractions and tremors, tachycardia appear, and blood pressure increases. The victim is agitated and may experience fear. Death from respiratory paralysis is likely within 20–30 hours.

In some cases, after the disappearance of clinical signs of poisoning, a relapse is possible. The victim should be under medical supervision for at least 12 hours after symptoms disappear.

First aid, treatment and prevention

an antidote is injected. In the absence of qualified assistance, the poison is sucked out of the wound, a cooling bandage is applied, and the bite site is treated with antiseptic drugs. The victim needs complete rest.

Scorpions can hide in the grass or burrow shallowly in the sand. Therefore, you must always wear shoes with strong soles. In areas where scorpions live, you should inspect clothing, shoes, and living quarters. Protective nets on windows and doors, sealed cracks in walls and ceilings will protect the house from the penetration of poisonous arthropods.

Poisonous arachnids

Top 5 largest spiders in the world

Let's look at the five that were officially recognized as the largest.

5th place. Purple tarantula

One of the huge spiders is the purple tarantula, which lives mainly in the forests of Colombia. It is in this place that its subspecies are most numerous in the world. The largest spider of this genus, which has been officially registered, has a length of 34.5 cm, but the average specimen reaches a length of 26 cm. It is worth noting that this large spider is not dangerous to humans, only its bite can cause an allergic reaction. Distinctive appearance features:

only its abdomen is covered with thick hairs, and its paws are long and drooping;
females are dark blue, purple and black in color;
males are yellow-green in color.

4th place. Camel spider

This type of insect got its name because it has several humps on its head, which is why it has been compared to camels. These spiders prefer to feed on lizards, rodents and small birds. While hunting, it is capable of reaching speeds of 16 km/h. And its size reaches 30 cm including limbs. It is yellow-brown in color and has tentacles on its head that also serve as limbs. Thanks to four eyes, this species is excellent at distinguishing moving objects. Its chelicerae are very sharp and can easily cut the skin and hair of their prey. If a camel spider bites a person, the area may become inflamed because there is an infection on the chelicerae. Habitat is Asia, North and South America, Africa and some European countries.

3rd place. Salmon pink tarantula

Even though this species is considered the largest spider, some people keep it as a pet. The pink tarantula reaches a size of 30 cm and in the wild it feeds on small snakes, lizards and birds. The tarantula has lightning speed, so the victim has no chance of survival. Habitat is Brazil. Distinctive external features:

the head and chest are covered with a shield, which depicts a design in the form of a 10-pointed black star, while the color itself is salmon;
at the base of the limbs, which are adjacent to the body, the color is pink, and then it turns into dark gray;
the belly and legs are heavily covered with hairs.

2nd place. Giant Crab Spider

One of the largest and arthropod insects in the world is the crab spider, or it is also called the huntsman spider. Its size reaches 30 cm and even more. It got its name due to its external resemblance to a crab and its ability to move. Its body is gray or brown, sometimes the color may contain spots or red splashes. The main feature of this giant is that it quickly kills its prey and feeds on insects and small invertebrates. When the victim is in his paws, he immediately injects his poison, which affects the victim's nerve cells. The venom contains a neurotoxin that can cause pain and swelling of the limbs. It attacks a person only in self-defense, but people still try to avoid it. It lives in Australia and Japan.

Classification

There is no uniform classification system for spiders. One can only correlate their specific types by density of distribution, rarity of a particular species, safety or threat to human life, and size.

Safe spiders

This species includes representatives of the animal world that do not harm people. They are either unable to bite through the skin at all, or their venom does not pose any threat.

These arachnids include:

crosses;
tarantulas;
haymakers (mowers);
horses;
brownies.

Cross spider

Deadly poisonous

In most cases, spiders do not pose any threat to humans. Especially if you don't try to deliberately anger him. But there are also those with whom it is better not to meet.

Arachnids that are truly poisonous and dangerous:

karakurt;
black Widow;
Brazilian Runner Spider;
banana spider;
brown recluse.

Brown recluse spider

Rare

Some spiders can be found everywhere, while others are very rarely seen.

Such distinctive arthropods include:

nephila-goldweaver;
baboon spider;
Sydney Spider Funnel Web;
Colombian purple tarantula;
phalanx spider;
giant crab.

Golden spider

Little ones

Like all representatives of the animal world, spiders tend to vary in size. And if large arthropods evoke fear and disgust, then baby spiders can even evoke tenderness.

These babies include:

anapistula;
patu digua;
side walker;
Kipling's Bagheera;
Abacarus histrix.

Sidewalk spider

Large

And next to these little ones live real giants who are impossible not to notice.

Particularly large species:

tarantula Theraphosa Blonda;
nephila orb weaver;
tarantula;
giant crab;
banana spider.

Tarantula

Tarantulas

Tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae) are a whole family of arachnoids found in Africa, Australia and on the ocean islands in South America. These are (up to 20 cm) that some exotic lovers are fond of and even keep them at home in terrariums.

Tarantulas do not pose a danger to adults, although they can cause muscle pain and fever. However, the poison can be fatal for pets or children.

Their bright, beautiful fur is actually poisonous hairs. The spider combs the hairs from its abdomen and throws it at its prey. If it comes into contact with the skin or eyes, the poison causes pain, itching, and severe vision impairment.

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