Explore Critters.im
spiders.critters.im
The big facts page

264 spider facts, all checked

Every fact on this site, in one place, each linked to its source. Figures that can change carry the date we checked them (30 Oct 2026). Where sources disagree we give every figure: see when sources disagree.

Jump to: Spiders in general | Bodies and senses | Silk and webs | Life cycle | Hunting and defence | Venom and bites | The species | Wolf spiders | Keeping spiders as pets | Britain | The Isle of Man | History and words | Myths

Spiders in general

  1. 1 The World Spider Catalog, kept at the Natural History Museum in Bern, lists 54,239 spider species in 139 families. World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern · checked 30 Oct 2026
  2. 2 Britannica puts the total at more than 51,500 species. Britannica: Spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  3. 3 Spiders are arachnids, not insects. They have eight legs instead of six, and a body in two parts instead of three. Britannica: Spider
  4. 4 Spiders and insects are both arthropods, the biggest group of animals on Earth, with hard outer skeletons and jointed legs. Australian Museum: Spiders
  5. 5 ‘Arachnid’ doesn’t just mean spider. There are 11 orders of arachnids, including scorpions and ticks; spiders are just one of them. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  6. 6 All spiders but one are predators, feeding almost entirely on other small animals with jointed legs, especially insects. The exception, Bagheera kiplingi, is nearly vegetarian. Britannica: Spider
  7. 7 Spiders live on every continent except Antarctica (although bits of spider have been reported there), and as high as 5,000 metres in the Himalayas. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  8. 8 There are many more species in the tropics than in cooler parts of the world. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  9. 9 Spiders range from 0.5 mm to about 90 mm in body length. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  10. 10 Female spiders are generally much larger than males. Many female orb weavers are at least twice the size of the males. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  11. 11 Over 800 spiders can be found in a single square metre of grassland. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  12. 12 British spiders catch and eat many of the insects that bother us, such as houseflies, midges and wasps, and help stop farm pests building up. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  13. 13 The Natural History Museum calls spiders useful, eco-friendly pest controllers in our towns and cities. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  14. 14 Spiders trapped in amber about 30 million years ago look much like spiders today. Australian Museum: Spiders
  15. 15 The Australian Museum puts it simply: spiders ‘stop insects taking over the world’. Australian Museum: Spiders
  16. 16 Most arachnids are less than 1 millimetre long. Australian Museum: Spiders

Bodies and senses

  1. 17 A spider’s body is in two sections: the cephalothorax (head and thorax together, with the eyes, mouthparts and legs) and the abdomen, joined by a slim waist called the pedicel. Australian Museum: Spider structure
  2. 18 The abdomen carries the spinnerets that spin silk, and the breathing organs, called book lungs. Australian Museum: Spider structure
  3. 19 Book lungs are made of thin, leaf-like plates, like the pages of a book. Australian Museum: Spider structure
  4. 20 Most spiders have four or six spinnerets. Australian Museum: Spider structure
  5. 21 Spiders usually have eight eyes (some have six or fewer), but few have good eyesight. Most feel their way by touch, vibration and taste. Australian Museum: How spiders see the world
  6. 22 Wolf spiders and jumping spiders are exceptions: they have remarkably sharp eyesight for spotting prey. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  7. 23 Ogre-faced spiders (Deinopis) have two hugely enlarged rear eyes that work like searchlights for seeing at night. Australian Museum: How spiders see the world
  8. 24 At night, wolf spiders’ eyes shine brightly in torchlight. Australian Museum: How spiders see the world
  9. 25 Spiders can’t chew. They pour digestive juices onto their prey, which turns its insides to liquid, and then suck it up, leaving the hard parts behind. Australian Museum: Spiders
  10. 26 The British Arachnological Society describes the result as a liquid ‘soup’. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  11. 27 Spiders bend their legs with muscles but stretch them out mainly by raising their blood pressure. Australian Museum: Spider structure
  12. 28 That’s why a dead spider’s legs are bent inwards. Australian Museum: Spider structure
  13. 29 Spiders also have a pair of leg-like pedipalps. In most species, the tips swell up like little boxing gloves as males become nearly full grown. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  14. 30 Spiders subdue prey with venom injected through hollow fangs on their jaws (chelicerae). British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  15. 31 Spiders grow by moulting: a new, larger skin forms under the old one, which splits so the spider can climb out. Australian Museum: Spiders
  16. 32 The new skin is soft, so most spiders keep still until it hardens. Australian Museum: Spiders
  17. 33 Spiders have four pairs of legs (insects have three), two main body sections (insects have three), no wings, and simple eyes rather than an insect’s two compound eyes. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info

Silk and webs

  1. 34 All spiders make silk, but only about half of all spider species build webs to catch prey. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  2. 35 Spiders are the only animals that use silk in almost every part of their daily lives: to protect their young, catch food, make homes and get about. Australian Museum: Silk, the spider’s success story
  3. 36 Ten kinds of silk gland are known in spiders, and one species can have up to eight, each making silk for a different job. Australian Museum: Silk, the spider’s success story
  4. 37 The biggest spigot on a front spinneret makes the spider’s strong main line, called the dragline. Australian Museum: Silk, the spider’s success story
  5. 38 A strand of spider silk long enough to go all the way round the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams. The Wildlife Trusts: Garden spider
  6. 39 An orb weaver takes only about an hour to weave the spokes and spiral of its web. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  7. 40 Most orb webs are rebuilt every day. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  8. 41 To start an orb web, a spider lets out a silk thread for the wind to carry. Once it catches on something, the spider fixes it and crosses the new bridge. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  9. 42 An orb web works like an air filter, trapping weak-flying insects that can’t see the fine silk. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  10. 43 Spiders usually wrap a captured insect in silk, turning it as if on a spit, before biting it. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  11. 44 Moths can slip out of webs by shedding wing scales, so spiders bite moths first and wrap them afterwards. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  12. 45 In Britain, orb webs are built by four spider families. The classic one is made by the garden spider. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  13. 46 Many people love seeing frosted orb webs on a winter morning. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  14. 47 Net-casting spiders hold a small web between their four front legs and throw it over passing insects at night. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  15. 48 Some tropical spiders live together in huge shared webs of hundreds, cooperating to build and repair them. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  16. 49 Some orb weavers add a thick white zigzag of silk, called a stabilimentum, which may stop birds flying through the web. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  17. 50 House spiders build a silk sheet that funnels into a retreat at the back. Natural History Museum, London: House spider
  18. 51 Darwin’s bark spider of Madagascar hangs orb webs of up to 2.8 square metres over rivers, held by anchor threads up to 25 metres long. Agnarsson, Kuntner & Blackledge 2010, PLoS ONE (peer-reviewed): Darwin’s bark spider silk
  19. 52 When it was studied in 2010, its silk was the toughest biological material known, more than twice as tough as any spider silk described before. Agnarsson, Kuntner & Blackledge 2010, PLoS ONE (peer-reviewed): Darwin’s bark spider silk · checked 30 Oct 2026
  20. 53 Spider venom and silk are used in research, in insect-specific pest control and in fibre technology. Australian Museum: Spiders

Life cycle

  1. 54 Spiders lay eggs. Females wrap them in silk egg sacs, which may hold hundreds of eggs. Australian Museum: Spiders
  2. 55 Some mothers leave their egg sac straight away; others guard it until the young come out, and some carry it about with them. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  3. 56 In a few British spiders the mother even feeds her young for a while on food she brings back up, as many birds do. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  4. 57 Spiderlings cut their way out of the egg sac with their fangs. Australian Museum: Spiders
  5. 58 After a few days they spread out to find food (and to avoid being eaten by hungry brothers and sisters). Australian Museum: Spiders
  6. 59 Newly hatched spiders look like small versions of their parents. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  7. 60 Small spiders and young ones can let out silk threads that catch the wind and carry them long distances. This is called ballooning. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  8. 61 Ballooning spiders drift at anything from 3 metres or less to more than 800 metres up. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  9. 62 In 2018, University of Bristol scientists showed that money spiders can take off on electric fields like those in the air, even with no wind at all. University of Bristol, 5 July 2018: Spiders go ballooning on electric fields
  10. 63 Charles Darwin wondered how hundreds of spiders landed on HMS Beagle far out at sea on a calm day. University of Bristol, 5 July 2018: Spiders go ballooning on electric fields
  11. 64 Courtship can be long or short. In some species it includes dancing or giving gifts. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  12. 65 Many spiders live only a few months as adults, but female large house spiders can live for a couple of years. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info
  13. 66 In autumn, males of many species reach adulthood and wander about looking for females. That’s why spider sightings always peak in autumn. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite
  14. 67 Spiders aren’t getting bigger, and there aren’t really more of them: we just see more when warm autumns keep our windows and doors open. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite

Hunting and defence

  1. 68 Spiders hunt in many ways: trapping, stalking and jumping on prey, or hiding to ambush it. Australian Museum: Spiders
  2. 69 Spider venom works on the nerves of insects and other prey, stopping them moving. It also helps break down the prey’s body. Australian Museum: Prey capture and feeding
  3. 70 A spider grabbed by a predator can drop a leg. Young spiders can grow it back at their next moult. Australian Museum: Spiders
  4. 71 Many spiders hide by looking like bark, leaves, twigs, bird droppings or even ants. Australian Museum: Spiders
  5. 72 Others escape by dropping on a silk line, playing dead or showing warning colours. Australian Museum: Spiders
  6. 73 Jumping spiders can leap more than 20 times their own body length, pushed off by their back legs. Australian Museum: How spiders see the world
  7. 74 Jumping spiders hunt by day, using excellent eyesight to spot prey and recognise mates. Australian Museum: How spiders see the world
  8. 75 Jumping spiders are the largest spider family, with more than 6,000 species. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  9. 76 The Wildlife Trusts gives more than 5,000 jumping spider species. The Wildlife Trusts: Zebra spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  10. 77 Spitting spiders catch prey with a well-aimed squirt. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  11. 78 The golden wheel spider of Namibia escapes danger by cartwheeling down sand dunes, spinning 44 times a second. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  12. 79 One species from Europe and Asia, the water spider, is truly aquatic, living in slow-moving fresh water. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  13. 80 A few spiders live along shores or on the surface of fresh or salt water. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)

Venom and bites

  1. 81 All spiders can bite: that’s how most of them subdue their prey. But only a small number have fangs strong enough to pierce human skin. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  2. 82 Spider bites are quite rare, so there’s generally no cause for concern if you see spiders at home. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  3. 83 Of the 650 or so species of spider in the UK, only about 12 have been recorded biting people, and only two or three have given a significant or unpleasant bite. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home · checked 30 Oct 2026
  4. 84 The British Arachnological Society says that of 680 spider species in Britain, only a handful can nip through human skin. British Arachnological Society: Noble False Widow Spider bites, the BAS view (23 April 2026) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  5. 85 Bites usually happen only when a spider is defending itself. Few spiders have fangs that can get through our skin, or any inclination to try. British Arachnological Society: Spider bites
  6. 86 Spider bites are occasionally painful and, in rare cases elsewhere in the world, dangerous, but not in the UK. British Arachnological Society: Spider bites
  7. 87 The British Arachnological Society’s advice: respect spiders, but don’t be afraid of them. British Arachnological Society: Spider bites
  8. 88 If you pick up a spider, remember it is delicate, and handle it with care and respect. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  9. 89 The chance of being bitten by a noble false widow is very low, and most bites are no worse than a wasp sting. These spiders are not aggressive and only bite when threatened. British Arachnological Society: Noble False Widow Spider bites, the BAS view (23 April 2026)
  10. 90 A false widow bite usually just hurts where it happened, ordinarily for between one and 12 hours. Natural History Museum, London: How dangerous are false widow spiders?
  11. 91 The Natural History Museum says all false widows are likely to do is give a small and relatively harmless bite. Natural History Museum, London: Identifying false widow spiders
  12. 92 False widows bite only when trapped or squashed, often in clothing. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite
  13. 93 Stuart Hine, who spent many years identifying spiders for the Natural History Museum, has been bitten by false widows three times. Each time he felt ‘a slight sting and a little numbness’. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite
  14. 94 In many reported ‘false widow bites’, a spider is assumed rather than proven. British Arachnological Society: Noble False Widow Spider bites, the BAS view (23 April 2026)
  15. 95 House spiders can bite if picked up, but the effect of their venom is small. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite
  16. 96 Real spider fang marks in human skin are hardly ever visible to the naked eye. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  17. 97 Most mystery bumps and sores blamed on spiders have other causes. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  18. 98 Spiders from other countries are occasionally found in imported fruit such as grapes or bananas. The Natural History Museum’s identification service can identify them from a photo. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  19. 99 Wasps and bees sting too, Stuart Hine points out, but we don’t fear them in the same way. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite
  20. 100 Practically all spiders have venom. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)

The species

  1. 101 The garden spider is the most common orb web spider in the UK. Look for the white cross on its back. The Wildlife Trusts: Garden spider
  2. 102 Garden spiders are 0.9 to 1.8 cm long. Females are twice the size of males. The Wildlife Trusts: Garden spider
  3. 103 A garden spider waits in the middle of its web to feel the vibrations of a struggling insect, then rushes out to wrap it in silk. The Wildlife Trusts: Garden spider
  4. 104 The Wildlife Trusts says garden spiders are completely harmless to people. The Wildlife Trusts: Garden spider
  5. 105 A good summer, with plenty of insects, lets more garden spiders reach their full size. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite
  6. 106 The giant house spider has a leg span of up to 7.5 cm. The Wildlife Trusts: Giant house spider
  7. 107 It’s one of our fastest invertebrates, running at up to half a metre a second. The Wildlife Trusts: Cellar spider
  8. 108 Both males and females can go for months without eating or drinking, and females can live for several years. The Wildlife Trusts: Giant house spider
  9. 109 Giant house spiders spin sheet-like webs in quiet corners and are most active at night. The Wildlife Trusts: Giant house spider
  10. 110 Six species of house spider are commonly found in British homes, in two closely related groups, Tegenaria and Eratigena. Natural History Museum, London: House spider
  11. 111 Most British house spiders probably arrived over the last few centuries in cargo from the Mediterranean. In the wild they live in caves and hollow trees. Natural History Museum, London: House spider
  12. 112 House spiders are less common than they used to be: better-sealed, centrally heated homes are too dry for them. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite · checked 30 Oct 2026
  13. 113 The UK’s largest spider is the cardinal spider (Tegenaria parietina). Males have been recorded with a 12 cm leg span. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  14. 114 The smallest money spiders have a leg span of little more than two millimetres. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  15. 115 About 280 of Britain’s spiders are tiny money spiders. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info · checked 30 Oct 2026
  16. 116 The cellar spider, or daddy long-legs spider, has a tiny body and very long legs, and lives almost only indoors. The Wildlife Trusts: Cellar spider
  17. 117 If disturbed, some cellar spiders bounce and vibrate rapidly in their webs. The Wildlife Trusts: Cellar spider
  18. 118 Cellar spiders also hunt other spiders, including surprisingly large house spiders. The Wildlife Trusts: Cellar spider
  19. 119 The cellar spider was first recorded in southern Britain in 1864 and has since been found as far north as Shetland. The Wildlife Trusts: Cellar spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  20. 120 The zebra spider is a black-and-white striped jumping spider 6 to 7 mm long. It can jump up to 10 cm, over 14 times its own body length. The Wildlife Trusts: Zebra spider
  21. 121 Male zebra spiders court females with a dance, waving their legs in the air. The Wildlife Trusts: Zebra spider
  22. 122 The wasp spider is striped yellow, black and white, like a wasp. It arrived in the UK from the continent fairly recently and is spreading north. The Wildlife Trusts: Wasp spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  23. 123 Its web has a wide white zigzag down the middle, called a stabilimentum. What it’s for is unclear. The Wildlife Trusts: Wasp spider
  24. 124 The flower crab spider doesn’t spin a web. It waits on plants to ambush bees, moths and other insects that come to feed on flowers. The Wildlife Trusts: Flower crab spider
  25. 125 The female can change colour to match her surroundings; the much smaller male can’t. The Wildlife Trusts: Flower crab spider
  26. 126 Crab spiders are named for their crab-like front legs and their ability to run sideways. The Wildlife Trusts: Flower crab spider
  27. 127 The female nursery web spider carries her egg sac in her fangs. Before the young hatch she builds a silk tent to shelter them. The Wildlife Trusts: Nursery web spider
  28. 128 A male nursery web spider brings the female a gift of food, and lies still, pretending to be dead, while she investigates. The Wildlife Trusts: Nursery web spider
  29. 129 Wolf spiders hunt on the ground by day, chasing prey down and leaping on it. The Wildlife Trusts: Wolf spider
  30. 130 A female wolf spider carries her egg sac attached to her spinnerets, then carries the young on her back for a few days. The Wildlife Trusts: Wolf spider
  31. 131 The raft spider rests its front legs on the water to feel for prey, then runs out across the surface. It even catches tadpoles and small fish. The Wildlife Trusts: Raft spider
  32. 132 Raft spiders can swim underwater, and often dive when threatened. The Wildlife Trusts: Raft spider
  33. 133 The water spider is the only spider that spends its life underwater, in a bell-shaped web of silk that it fills with air: a ‘diving bell’. The Wildlife Trusts: Water spider
  34. 134 It collects air from the surface in the hairs on its body and carries it down to fill the bell. The Wildlife Trusts: Water spider
  35. 135 Unusually, male water spiders are larger than females. The Wildlife Trusts: Water spider
  36. 136 The cucumber spider has a bright apple-green abdomen with a red spot near the spinnerets. The Wildlife Trusts: Cucumber spider
  37. 137 It was first described in 1757 by Carl Clerck, a Swedish tax collector and amateur arachnologist. The Wildlife Trusts: Cucumber spider
  38. 138 The noble false widow arrived from the Canary Islands and Madeira in the late 19th century. It is now very common in southern England, mostly around buildings. British Arachnological Society: Noble False Widow Spider bites, the BAS view (23 April 2026) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  39. 139 In the last 20 years it has spread from a few sites on the south coast to most of lowland England and Wales, with a few records from Scotland. British Arachnological Society: Noble False Widow Spider bites, the BAS view (23 April 2026) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  40. 140 Noble false widows came over with bananas. Natural History Museum, London: Identifying false widow spiders
  41. 141 Females are 8.5 to 14 mm long, males 7 to 10 mm. Natural History Museum, London: Identifying false widow spiders
  42. 142 Six false widow species live permanently in the UK. Natural History Museum, London: How dangerous are false widow spiders? · checked 30 Oct 2026
  43. 143 Two spiders often mistaken for false widows, the missing sector orb weaver and the lace web spider, are harmless to people. Natural History Museum, London: Identifying false widow spiders
  44. 144 The missing sector orb weaver is more of an indoor spider: most UK homes probably have one. Natural History Museum, London: How dangerous are false widow spiders?
  45. 145 Its web has one slice left out of the circle. Natural History Museum, London: Identifying false widow spiders
  46. 146 It is one of the few spiders that keep feeding through the winter, if there’s enough food. Natural History Museum, London: How dangerous are false widow spiders?
  47. 147 Harvestmen look spidery but aren’t spiders. They are arachnids with a small round body and no ‘waist’, and about 25 kinds live in the UK. The Wildlife Trusts: Common harvestman
  48. 148 Harvestmen don’t spin silk or make venom, and a lost leg doesn’t grow back. The Wildlife Trusts: Common harvestman
  49. 149 ‘Daddy-longlegs’ can mean a harvestman, a crane fly (an insect) or a cellar spider, depending on who’s talking. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  50. 150 The goliath birdeater, a tarantula from the Amazon region, is the largest arachnid by mass. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  51. 151 The Australian Museum gives the goliath spider’s body length as up to 9 cm and its leg span as up to 28 cm. Australian Museum: Spiders
  52. 152 In southern Australia, male peacock spiders (jumping spiders of the genus Maratus) court females by raising flaps on the sides of their brightly coloured abdomen into a white-fringed circle of colour. Australian Museum: Jumping spiders
  53. 153 Australian jumping spiders range from 3 mm to 12 mm long. Australian Museum: Jumping spiders
  54. 154 Darwin’s bark spider (Caerostris darwini) is a Madagascan orb weaver, named as a new species in 2010. Agnarsson, Kuntner & Blackledge 2010, PLoS ONE (peer-reviewed): Darwin’s bark spider silk
  55. 155 Britannica names Bagheera kiplingi as the one exception to spiders being predators: it is nearly vegetarian. Britannica: Spider
  56. 156 The golden wheel spider lives in the Namib Desert. Britannica: Spider (size and distribution)
  57. 157 Ogre-faced spiders are net-casting spiders: they hold a little net between their front legs and throw it over insects at night. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  58. 158 Many of Australia’s huntsman spiders have flattened bodies for squeezing under loose bark, and many live peacefully together in big colonies. Australian Museum: Huntsman spiders
  59. 159 A female huntsman may guard her egg sac for about three weeks without eating. Australian Museum: Huntsman spiders

Wolf spiders

  1. 160 Wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) are a large family of more than 2,300 species in 135 genera, named for the way they chase and pounce on prey. Britannica: Wolf spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  2. 161 About 240 kinds of wolf spider live in North America and about 50 in Europe, and many live north of the Arctic Circle, on the tundra. Britannica: Wolf spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  3. 162 Wolf spiders are easy to recognise as a family by their eyes: four small eyes in the bottom row, two very large eyes in the middle row and two smaller eyes on top. Britannica: Wolf spider
  4. 163 Most wolf spiders are dark brown, small to medium sized, with a long, hairy body and stout, long legs built for running. Britannica: Wolf spider
  5. 164 Many wolf spiders are most active at night or when the sky is overcast. Britannica: Wolf spider
  6. 165 Most wolf spiders build silk-lined tube nests in the ground; some hide the entrance and others build a little turret over it. Only a few species spin webs. Britannica: Wolf spider
  7. 166 Carrying the egg sac on the spinnerets is unique to wolf spiders. After hatching, the spiderlings ride on their mother’s back for several days to weeks. Britannica: Wolf spider
  8. 167 Thin-legged wolf spiders (Pardosa) have relatively long legs with long spines on the ‘foot’, and a lens-shaped greenish or grey egg sac. Britannica: Wolf spider
  9. 168 Pirata wolf spiders, often found near ponds or streams, have a pale V-shaped mark on the back. Britannica: Wolf spider
  10. 169 Burrowing wolf spiders (Geolycosa) spend most of their lives in burrows and dig with their heavy front legs. Britannica: Wolf spider
  11. 170 The wolf spiders with the biggest bodies mostly belong to the genus Lycosa, which includes Lycosa tarentula of southern Europe. Britannica: Wolf spider
  12. 171 The name ‘tarantula’ first belonged to this wolf spider, Lycosa tarentula, and comes from the town of Taranto in Italy. Britannica: Tarantula
  13. 172 People once believed its bite caused ‘tarantism’, a wild dance (the tarantella is named after it). It has been shown that its bite is not dangerous to people. Britannica: Tarantula
  14. 173 Lycosa tarentula has a body about 2.5 cm long. Like other wolf spiders, it spins no web and catches prey by chasing it. Britannica: Tarantula
  15. 174 One of the largest wolf spiders, Hogna ingens, lives only on Deserta Grande in the Madeira Islands and is critically endangered. Its body is about 2.5 cm long, with legs about the same length. Britannica: Wolf spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  16. 175 Two wolf spiders found only on Saint Helena, the snarling wolf spider (Lycosa ringens) and the cunning wolf spider (Dolocosa dolosa), are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Britannica: Wolf spider · checked 30 Oct 2026
  17. 176 The UK wolf spider The Wildlife Trusts profiles, Pardosa amentata, has a body 6–8 mm long, is common and widespread, and is seen from March to July, often sunbathing or running across the ground. The Wildlife Trusts: Wolf spider
  18. 177 The Wildlife Trusts says there are several species of wolf spider that are very difficult to tell apart. The Wildlife Trusts: Wolf spider
  19. 178 The British Arachnological Society’s 2019 checklist lists British and Irish wolf spiders in nine genera: Pardosa, Hygrolycosa, Xerolycosa, Alopecosa, Trochosa, Arctosa, Pirata, Piratula and Aulonia. Lavery 2019, A revised checklist of the spiders of Great Britain and Ireland, Arachnology 18(3) (British Arachnological Society)
  20. 179 A spider workshop handout from the British Arachnological Society says most British spiders need a microscope for a reliable species identification, and any identification made without one should be treated as tentative. British Arachnological Society: spider workshop handouts (Geoff Oxford)
  21. 180 The same handout says that, with experience, every spider can be identified in the field to family, and the vast majority to genus. British Arachnological Society: spider workshop handouts (Geoff Oxford)
  22. 181 To be certain of most species, experts compare the male’s palps or the female’s epigyne (reproductive parts) under a microscope with drawings in specialist guides. British Arachnological Society leaflet: How to study spiders
  23. 182 Even experts find wolf spiders hard: in 2004 the arachnologist Peter Harvey reported that he had named Pardosa lugubris as its close relative Pardosa saltans the year before, despite checking it against the published drawings. Harvey 2004, Pardosa lugubris sensu stricto in Britain, SRS News 50 (British Arachnological Society)
  24. 183 Even the names can move: in 2019 a review proposed that the British Alopecosa barbipes should be called Alopecosa accentuata, but this was reversed in 2022, and Alopecosa barbipes is the name the World Spider Catalog now accepts. Lavery 2025, The spiders of Great Britain and Ireland checklist, Arachnology 20(3) (British Arachnological Society) · checked 30 Oct 2026

Keeping spiders as pets

  1. 184 The RSPCA says to do plenty of research before getting an exotic pet, because exotic animals can have more complex needs than a typical pet. RSPCA: Exotic pets
  2. 185 The RSPCA opposes the wild-caught animal trade and asks keepers to make sure their exotic pet hasn’t been taken illegally from the wild. RSPCA: Exotic pets
  3. 186 Some exotic pets need a licence or other legal paperwork, so the RSPCA advises checking before getting one. RSPCA: Exotic pets
  4. 187 The RSPCA suggests checking whether there is a specialist vet for the species nearby before you buy. RSPCA: Exotic pets
  5. 188 Non-native animals may not survive in the British countryside and it is illegal to release them or let them escape. RSPCA: Exotic pet concerns
  6. 189 The RSPCA warns that exotic pets are often thought of as easy to keep when they are not, and that impulse buying means people often haven’t done their homework. RSPCA: Exotic pet concerns
  7. 190 The British Tarantula Society says captive-bred tarantulas are the best option and does not advocate wild-caught ones; captive-bred spiders are more ecologically sound and don’t carry the parasites some wild-caught ones do. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  8. 191 In UK wildlife trade law, all Brachypelma and Tliltocatl tarantulas, all Poecilotheria and the Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea) are listed as CITES Appendix II species. legislation.gov.uk: Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 Annex, as it applies in UK law (wildlife trade) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  9. 192 For CITES-listed spiders, the British Tarantula Society asks sellers at its exhibition for proof of legal origin, such as a breeder’s receipt or certificate showing the date of breeding and date of acquisition. British Tarantula Society: The sale of CITES species
  10. 193 Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, as updated in 2007, four spider genera are listed: Phoneutria (wandering spiders), Atrax (the Sydney funnel-web and relatives), Loxosceles (recluse spiders) and Latrodectus (widow spiders). legislation.gov.uk: Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification) (No. 2) Order 2007, Schedule · checked 30 Oct 2026
  11. 194 Britannica notes that many tarantulas are kept as pets, among them the Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea) and the Mexican red-kneed tarantula. Britannica: Tarantula
  12. 195 The Royal Veterinary College says the most commonly kept tarantulas are the Chilean rose and the Mexican red-knee. Royal Veterinary College: Invertebrate vet service
  13. 196 For beginners the British Tarantula Society suggests a ground-dwelling tarantula, such as the Chilean rose (Grammostola rosea) or the curly hair, Tliltocatl albopilosus (previously Brachypelma albopilosum). Its guide was updated in January 2026 for genus name changes. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  14. 197 The British Tarantula Society notes that Mexican red-knees have a strong tendency to kick irritant hairs. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  15. 198 Tarantulas must be housed one to an enclosure: they are highly cannibalistic. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  16. 199 The Royal Veterinary College says tarantulas are not social animals and should generally be housed alone. Royal Veterinary College: Invertebrate vet service
  17. 200 For a beginner’s ground-dwelling tarantula, the British Tarantula Society suggests a small glass tank of about 30 × 20 × 15 cm, with only one or two small (2–4 mm) ventilation holes in the lid. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  18. 201 Tarantulas can walk up glass and are strong enough to push a light lid off, so the lid needs to be secure. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  19. 202 Small tanks suit tarantulas because many species rarely move more than 10 cm from their burrow entrance. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  20. 203 The guide suggests a 3–5 cm layer of substrate, kept drier at one side and moist (not sopping wet) at the other. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  21. 204 Tarantulas are essentially nocturnal and all need a dark shelter to hide in by day. The BTS rule of thumb: ‘a happy tarantula is one you can’t see.’ British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  22. 205 Leave out anything sharp, and fish-tank ornaments such as resin logs with holes: tarantulas can get stuck in them. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  23. 206 Cork bark makes a good shelter because, unlike ordinary wood, it doesn’t go mouldy. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  24. 207 Keep the moist side damp by pouring water onto the substrate; the BTS says this may only be needed about once every couple of weeks. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  25. 208 Tarantulas dislike disturbance, so the substrate doesn’t need changing often: the BTS says the same substrate is fine for well over a year, as long as leftovers are removed. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  26. 209 A shallow water dish is a good idea, with a piece of rock in it so that crickets can climb out. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  27. 210 The guide gives 22–30°C as an ideal range and says to avoid going over 30°C. It suggests a heat mat on the back of the tank, covering about half of it and never placed underneath, so the spider can choose a warmer or cooler side. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  28. 211 Tarantulas hate light, so don’t heat the tank with a bulb, and keep it away from windows: sun can quickly overheat a tank. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  29. 212 Live crickets are the mainstay of what a captive tarantula eats, and prey should be about half the spider’s body length or less. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  30. 213 The guide says a typical adult tarantula will be content with four large crickets a week, and a well-fed adult in good condition can go over a month without food with no ill effects. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  31. 214 Uneaten dead food should be removed within 24 hours, along with the small balls of leftovers a tarantula leaves after feeding. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  32. 215 Adult tarantulas moult about once a year; younger ones more often. Before a moult a tarantula usually stops eating. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  33. 216 When it stops eating, remove any live crickets from the tank: they can damage a moulting tarantula. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  34. 217 Tarantulas usually moult lying on their backs. If you find one like that, don’t turn it over: a moulting tarantula must never be disturbed. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  35. 218 An adult’s moult can take up to 24 hours, and touching it could do more harm than good. British Tarantula Society FAQ: Moulting
  36. 219 Don’t feed a freshly moulted tarantula until its new skin has hardened, which may take over a week. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  37. 220 The British Tarantula Society does not recommend handling tarantulas. If it has to be done, for tank maintenance or a vet check, it should be done in a way that doesn’t put the spider or the handler at risk. British Tarantula Society: Handling tarantulas (Martin Nicholas)
  38. 221 Tarantulas are fragile, and falls often kill them. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  39. 222 To move a tarantula, the BTS suggests gently coaxing it into a screw-top plastic jar with a long thin stick, such as a knitting needle, touching its back legs. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  40. 223 Most American tarantulas have irritating hairs on the abdomen that they can kick towards a disturbance, including their owner. The hairs cause itching on skin, so it’s best to avoid contact. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  41. 224 The British Tarantula Society says an average tarantula can be expected to live for about 10 years. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)
  42. 225 The Royal Veterinary College gives a tarantula lifespan of 5–20 years, with females living longer than males. Royal Veterinary College: Invertebrate vet service
  43. 226 The BTS suggests experienced keepers consider coir (coconut fibre) or vermiculite mixes instead of peat, because peat is mined from peat bogs, an important habitat. British Tarantula Society: The basic guide to keeping tarantulas (Richard C. Gallon, updated 29 January 2026)

Britain

  1. 227 There are 680 spider species established in Great Britain and Ireland (2025 checklist). Lavery 2025, The spiders of Great Britain and Ireland checklist, Arachnology 20(3) (British Arachnological Society) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  2. 228 The first modern list of British and Irish spiders, by Blackwall in 1861 and 1864, had 304 species. Lavery 2025, The spiders of Great Britain and Ireland checklist, Arachnology 20(3) (British Arachnological Society)
  3. 229 The Natural History Museum says there are over 650 spider species known in the UK. Natural History Museum, London: How dangerous are false widow spiders? · checked 30 Oct 2026
  4. 230 A British Arachnological Society factsheet gives about 660 species for Britain. British Arachnological Society factsheet: Essential spider info · checked 30 Oct 2026
  5. 231 Few spiders can live comfortably in modern centrally heated homes. Most would rather be helped back outside. Natural History Museum, London: Spiders in your home
  6. 232 No one has yet invented a device that keeps spiders away. Closing windows and blocking gaps works better. Natural History Museum, London: House spider
  7. 233 Want a spider out of the house? Catch it under a glass, slide a card underneath and put it outside. The Wildlife Trusts: False widow spider
  8. 234 ‘The kindest thing anyone can do is let them outside,’ says Stuart Hine of the Natural History Museum. Natural History Museum, London: Invasion of the giant spiders? Not quite

The Isle of Man

  1. 235 Manx Wildlife Trust says 235 to 240 spider species have been recorded on the Isle of Man. Manx Wildlife Trust: Manx State of Nature 2024, invertebrates · checked 30 Oct 2026
  2. 236 It compares that with 670 British species, and expects a few more to be found on the island, especially tiny money spiders. Manx Wildlife Trust: Manx State of Nature 2024, invertebrates · checked 30 Oct 2026
  3. 237 The 2019 British and Irish spider checklist counted 212 species recorded from the Isle of Man, all also found in England and Wales. Lavery 2019, A revised checklist of the spiders of Great Britain and Ireland, Arachnology 18(3) (British Arachnological Society) · checked 30 Oct 2026
  4. 238 The Isle of Man is included in the British and Irish checklist; the Channel Islands are not. Lavery 2025, The spiders of Great Britain and Ireland checklist, Arachnology 20(3) (British Arachnological Society)
  5. 239 On the island, spiders are found everywhere from salt marsh to rough grassland and scrub. A handful of species live on the shore. Manx Wildlife Trust: Manx State of Nature 2024, invertebrates
  6. 240 The island also has one pseudoscorpion that lives between the tides. Manx Wildlife Trust: Manx State of Nature 2024, invertebrates
  7. 241 Manx Wildlife Trust counts spiders, harvestmen and pseudoscorpions as the island’s arachnids. Manx Wildlife Trust: Manx State of Nature 2024, invertebrates
  8. 242 In October 2024, the Ellan Vannin Invertebrate Group found the pirate spider Ero furcata in the grounds of Government House, Onchan. It specialises in eating other spiders, and is one of two Ero species found on the island so far. Manx Wildlife Trust: Ellan Vannin Invertebrate Group field report, Government House grounds, Onchan, 19 October 2024
  9. 243 Metellina segmentata, an orb-web spider, is very common on the Isle of Man in low plants and shrubs. Manx Wildlife Trust: Ellan Vannin Invertebrate Group field report, Government House grounds, Onchan, 19 October 2024
  10. 244 The same survey found tiny money spiders such as Erigone atra in leaf litter and dead wood. Manx Wildlife Trust: Ellan Vannin Invertebrate Group field report, Government House grounds, Onchan, 19 October 2024
  11. 245 It also found Opilio canestrinii, a very long-legged harvestman that arrived in the British Isles fairly recently, and has been found on the island before. Manx Wildlife Trust: Ellan Vannin Invertebrate Group field report, Government House grounds, Onchan, 19 October 2024

History and words

  1. 246 In Greek myth, Arachne was a weaver so skilled that she challenged the goddess Athena, and the two of them each wove a tapestry. She was turned into a spider. Britannica: Arachne
  2. 247 Her name gave us Arachnida, the scientific name of the class that spiders belong to. Britannica: Arachne
  3. 248 The main source for the story is the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Britannica: Arachne
  4. 249 ‘Arachnid’ comes from the Greek aráchnē, meaning ‘spider’ or ‘spiderweb’, and its first known use in English was in 1826. Merriam-Webster: arachnid
  5. 250 The French name arachnide was introduced by Lamarck in 1801. Merriam-Webster: arachnid
  6. 251 The English word ‘spider’ comes from Middle English spyder, related to the Old English word spinnan, ‘to spin’. It was first used in the 15th century. Merriam-Webster: spider
  7. 252 West African stories tell of Anansi, a spider. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  8. 253 On the voyage of HMS Beagle, Darwin wondered how spiders could land on the ship far out at sea and take off again on windless days. University of Bristol, 5 July 2018: Spiders go ballooning on electric fields
  9. 254 Spider classifications have relied heavily on Eugène Simon, who published in France in the late 19th century. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification)
  10. 255 Fewer than 30% of the large spiders of tropical America are known, compared with 80% or more of species in northern and central Europe. Britannica: Spider (spiderwebs and classification) · checked 30 Oct 2026

Myths

  1. 256 Spiders are not insects: they are arachnids, as different from insects as birds are from fish. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  2. 257 All arachnids, not just spiders, have four pairs of legs. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  3. 258 There’s no evidence that people swallow spiders in their sleep: no specimens, no eyewitnesses, nothing. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  4. 259 Spiders in baths and sinks have come down the walls, attracted by water. They can’t come up through the drains. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  5. 260 The Burke Museum’s spider curator says a house holds 10 to 30 kinds of spider, not just one. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  6. 261 Round orb webs are neither the most common type of web nor the ‘normal’ one. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  7. 262 There is no evidence that spiders can even smell the plant products said to repel them. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  8. 263 Not every spider is a ‘he’: it’s easy to tell males from females. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)
  9. 264 Spiders can’t lay eggs inside the skin of a ripe banana. Burke Museum, Seattle: Spider myths (by its spider curator)