Fun Facts About Spiders & Webs in Youngstown, PA; Spider Egg Sacs, Venomous Bites & More
Spiders are kind of amazing little critters, though they are a whole lot of creepy. Basics are fairly well known among most folks. Most can recognize a spider when they see it but we at Stewart Termite and Pest Control would like to share a few fun facts regarding spiders.
Creepy & Fascinating Spider Facts
1) The eggs are protected with silk. Following mating, the female will prepare a silk bed to deposit her eggs. At the conclusion of the production of her legs, she will cover her egg sac with additional silk for more protection.
2) Spiders rely on more than their muscles to move their legs. In addition to the muscle, they basically need blood pressure. Extensor muscles entirely are lacking entirely in some joint legs. In order to effectively extend their legs at the joints, spiders have to increase the blood pressure in the legs by contracting muscles in the cephalothorax.
3) The abdomen, or the posterior region, is where the spinnerets. The cephalothorax is the anterior body region, and that’s where the legs, palps, eyes, and fangs are located. The cephalothorax and an abdomen are the only 2 parts belonging to all spiders. The narrow pedicel that attaches the un-segmented abdomen to the cephalothorax, this gives the spider the look of having a waist.
4) The Uloboridae spider family is the only non-venomous, other than that every other spider is venomous. With the venom, spiders are able to subdue their prey. Attached by ducts are the venom glands which are near the fangs, or the chelicerae. When the spider bites its prey to paralyze their prey, the venom is injected through the fang because the muscles around the venom glands contract to do so.
5) Prey is either captured or hunted by all spiders that are hunters. Spiders will feed on other invertebrates and insects though the few larger spiders will include birds in their diet and other vertebrates.
6) Spiders have to liquefy their prey before they eat because they can’t digest solids. Generally, spiders will project the digestive enzymes that will liquefy their remains which they then drink the body after the tissue is broken down along with the digestive enzymes.
7) All spiders produce silk throughout their lifecycle. Though not all spiders will use the silk the same way and some ways include making shelter, capturing prey, as to reproduce, for shelter, and other such reasons.
8) Webs are not spun by all types of spiders. For example, jumping spiders have quick movement and incredible eyesight they use to pounce on their prey; having no use for the webs. Also, wolf spiders do not rely webs either, instead capture their prey through stalking and ambushing it.
9) Males spiders will mate sexually using their pedipalps and do so unusually by transferring sperm. The male spiders will deposit their sperm on a pre-prepared silk web or bed. They collect the sperm onto his pedipalps as they store their semen in sperm ducts. The female’s genital opening is where the males insert their pedipalp I to release their sperm.
10) Females will potentially eat their mates. Since the female will eat invertebrate prey, if she is hungry enough, the males run the risk of being mistaken for a meal. To avoid the misperception, they will attempt to identify themselves as a mate instead, by performing an elaborate dance.
Spiders can be fun at a distance, but when they intrude into our homes or businesses, it’s a little too close for comfort. Call Stewart Termite and Pest Control if you have a spider infestation or simply want to keep populations under control!