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Spiders are fascinating creatures that are often feared. The truth is that most spiders prefer to avoid humans. A spider’s body consists of a cephalothorax (conjoined head and midsection) connected by a pedicel (waist) to the abdomen. This is different from most insects which have a separate head, thorax, and abdomen. According to Spiders of the World, by Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham, spiders are actually more closely related to scorpions, ticks, and daddy-long-legs.
Most spiders have eight eyes and eight legs. The “fangs” which deliver the spider’s venomous bite are called chelicerae. Spiders apprehend their prey in a variety of ways. Some spiders build trapdoors under which they lie in wait for unsuspecting prey. Other spiders actively hunt their prey, such as the wolf spider. Still other spiders use the more commonly seen method of orb webs which entrap the victim in sticky silk.
Spiders reproduce sexually. Males secrete seminal fluid onto a sperm web, and then pick up the fluid and insert it into the female spider’s genital pore. The female
deposits the eggs and the sperm together, at which time fertilization takes place. She then wraps the eggs in a sac and protects them until they hatch or shortly thereafter.
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