Spider with a pattern on its back name. The most amazing and beautiful spiders in the world

Spider (Araneae) belongs to the phylum arthropod, class Arachnida, order Spiders. Their first representatives appeared on the planet approximately 400 million years ago.

Spider - description, characteristics and photographs

The body of arachnids consists of two parts:

• The cephalothorax is covered with a shell of chitin, with four pairs of long jointed legs. In addition to them, there is a pair of claws (pedipalps), used by mature individuals for mating, and a pair of short limbs with poisonous hooks - chelicerae. They are part oral apparatus. The number of eyes in spiders ranges from 2 to 8.
• Abdomen with breathing holes located on it and six arachnoid warts for weaving webs.

The size of spiders, depending on the species, ranges from 0.4 mm to 10 cm, and the span of the limbs can exceed 25 cm.

Coloring and pattern on individuals different types depend on the structural structure of the integument of scales and hairs, as well as the presence and localization of various pigments. Therefore, spiders can have both dull, monochromatic and bright colors of various shades.

Types of spiders, names and photographs

Scientists have described more than 42,000 species of spiders. About 2,900 varieties are known in the CIS countries. Let's consider several varieties:

• Blue-green tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens)

one of the most spectacular and beautifully colored spiders. The tarantula's abdomen is red-orange, its limbs are bright blue, and its carapace is green. The size of the tarantula is 6-7 cm, with a leg span of up to 15 cm. The spider’s homeland is Venezuela, but this spider is found in Asian countries and on the African continent. Despite belonging to tarantulas, this type of spider does not bite, but only throws special hairs located on the abdomen, and only in case of severe danger. The hairs are not dangerous for humans, but they cause minor burns on the skin, similar in effect to nettle burns. Surprisingly, female chromatopelma are long-lived compared to males: the lifespan of a female spider is 10-12 years, while males live only 2-3 years.

• Flower spider (Misumena vatia)

belongs to the family of side-walking spiders (Thomisidae). Color varies from absolutely white to bright lemon, pink or greenish. Male spiders are small, 4-5 mm long, females reach sizes of 1-1.2 cm. The species of flower spiders is distributed throughout European territory (excluding Iceland), and is found in the USA, Japan, and Alaska. The spider lives in open areas with an abundance of flowering herbs, as it feeds on the juices of butterflies and bees caught in its “embraces”.

• Grammostola pulchra (Grammostola Pulchra)

Sidewalk spiders (crab spiders) spend most of their lives sitting on flowers waiting for prey, although some members of the family can be found on tree bark or forest floors.

Representatives of the family of funnel-web spiders place their webs on tall grass and bush branches.

Wolf spiders prefer damp, grassy meadows and swampy wooded areas, where they are found in abundance among fallen leaves.

The water (silver) spider builds a nest underwater, attaching it to various bottom objects with the help of cobwebs. He fills his nest with oxygen and uses it as a diving bell.

What do spiders eat?

Spiders are quite original creatures that eat very interestingly. Some types of spiders may not eat for a long time - from a week to a month or even a year, but if they start, there will be little left. Interestingly, the weight of food that all spiders can eat during the year is several times greater than the mass of the entire population living on the planet today.
How and what do spiders eat? Depending on the species and size, spiders forage and eat differently. Some spiders weave webs, thereby organizing clever traps that are very difficult for insects to notice. Digestive juice is injected into the caught prey, corroding it from the inside. After some time, the “hunter” draws the resulting “cocktail” into his stomach. Other spiders “spit” sticky saliva while hunting, thereby attracting prey to themselves.

The main diet of spiders is insects. Small spiders happily eat flies, mosquitoes, crickets, butterflies, mealworms, cockroaches, and grasshoppers. Spiders that live on the soil surface or in burrows eat beetles and orthoptera, and some species are able to drag a snail or earthworm and eat them there in peace.

The queen spider hunts only at night, creating a sticky web bait for unwary moths. Noticing an insect next to the bait, the queen spinner quickly swings the thread with her paws, thereby attracting the attention of the prey. The moth happily hovers around such a bait, and having touched it, it immediately remains hanging on it. As a result, the spider can calmly attract it to itself and enjoy its prey.

Large tropical tarantula spiders happily hunt small frogs, lizards, other spiders, mice, including bats, as well as small birds.

And this type of spider Brazilian tarantulas, can easily hunt small snakes and snakes.

Aquatic species of spiders get their food from the water, catching tadpoles with the help of a web, small fish or midges floating on the surface of the water. Some spiders, which are predators, due to the lack of victims, can also get enough of plant food, which includes pollen or plant leaves.

Haymaking spiders prefer cereal grains.

Judging by numerous notes from scientists, a huge number of spiders destroy small rodents and insects several times more than the animals living on the planet.

How does a spider weave a web?

In the back of the spider’s abdomen there are 1 to 4 pairs of arachnoid glands (arachnoid warts), from which a thin thread of web is released. This is a special secret, which today many call liquid silk. Coming out of the thin spinning tubes, it hardens in the air, and the resulting thread turns out to be so thin that it is quite difficult to see with the naked eye.

In order to weave a web, the spider spreads its spinning organs, and then waits for a light breeze so that the spun web catches on a nearby support. After this happens, he moves along the newly created bridge with his back down and begins to weave a radial thread.

When the base is created, the spider moves in a circle, weaving thin transverse threads into its “product”, which are quite sticky.

It is worth noting that spiders are quite economical creatures, so they absorb damaged or old webs, after which they reuse them.

And the web becomes old very quickly, since the spider weaves it almost every day.

Types of web

There are several types of webs, differing in shape:

• The orb web is the most common type, with the minimum number of threads. Thanks to this weaving, it turns out to be unnoticeable, but not always elastic enough. From the center of such a web radial threads-webs diverge, connected by spirals with a sticky base. Usually round spider webs are not very large, but tropical ones tree spiders capable of weaving similar traps reaching two meters in diameter.

• Cone-shaped web: This type of web is made by the funnel-web spider. Usually it creates its hunting funnel in tall grass, while it itself hides in its narrow base, waiting for prey.

• The zigzag web is its “author”, a spider from the genus Argiope.

• Spiders from the family Dinopidae spinosa weave a web directly between their limbs, and then simply throw it onto an approaching victim.

• Spider Bolas ( Mastophora cornigera) weaves a thread of web on which there is a sticky ball with a diameter of 2.5 mm. With this ball, impregnated with female moth pheromones, the spider attracts prey - a moth. The victim falls for the bait, flies closer to it and sticks to the ball. After which the spider calmly pulls the victim towards itself.

• Darwin's spiders ( Caerostris darwini), living on the island of Madagascar, weave giant webs, the area of ​​which ranges from 900 to 28,000 square meters. cm.

The web can be divided according to the principle of responsibility of its weaving and type:

• household - from such webs spiders make cocoons and so-called doors for their homes;
• strong - spiders use it to weave nets, with the help of which the main hunt will be carried out;
• sticky - it is used only for preparing jumpers in fishing nets and sticks so strongly when touched that it is very difficult to remove.

Spider Reproduction

As spiders grow, from time to time they shed their tight chitinous shell and acquire a new one. They can molt up to 10 times in their entire life. Spiders are dioecious, with the female being much larger than the male. During the mating season, which lasts from mid-autumn to early spring, the male fills the bulbs located at the ends of his pedipalps with sperm and goes in search of a female. After performing the “mating dance” and fertilization, the male spider hastily retreats and dies after some time.

After two and a half months, the female spider lays eggs, and after 35 days small spiderlings appear, living in the web until the first molt. Females reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years of age.

Among spiders, only poisonous ones pose a danger to humans. In the CIS countries there is one such species - the karakurt, or black widow.

With a timely injection of a special serum, the bite goes away without consequences.

Recently it has become fashionable to keep spiders at home. For beginners, we recommend the white-haired tarantula spider, which is a harmless representative of the arachnid class.

• According to statistics, 6% of the world's population suffers from arachnophobia - the fear of spiders. Particularly sensitive people panic when they see a spider in a photo or on TV.
• Frightening-looking tarantula spiders, with a paw span of up to 17 cm, are actually calm and non-aggressive, thanks to which they have earned the reputation of popular pets. However, owners must protect their pets from stress, otherwise the spider sheds its bright hairs, which cause an allergic reaction in humans.
• The most poisonous spiders are considered to be black widows, their variety is karakurt, as well as Brazilian soldier spiders. The venom of these spiders, containing powerful neurotoxins, instantly attacks the victim's lymphatic system, which in most cases leads to cardiac arrest.
• Many people mistakenly believe that tarantula venom is fatal to humans. In reality, a tarantura bite causes only a slight swelling, similar to a wasp sting.
• Wall crab spiders, named Selenopidae in Latin after the Greek goddess of the Moon, move sideways as well as backwards.
• Jumping spiders are excellent jumpers, especially over long distances. As a safety net, the spider attaches a silk web thread to the landing site. In addition, this type of spider can climb glass.
• When chasing prey, some species of spiders can run almost 2 km in 1 hour without stopping.
• Fishing spiders have the ability to glide across the water surface like water striders.
• Most species of spiders have an individual form of woven web. House (funnel) spiders weave funnel-shaped webs; dictine weaver spiders are characterized by angular webs. The web of Nicodam spiders looks like a sheet of paper.
• Lynx spiders are distinguished by a property that is uncharacteristic of spiders: to protect the clutch, females spit on the threat of poison, although this poison does not pose a danger to humans.
• Female wolf spiders are very caring mothers. Until the children gain independence, the mother “carries” the cubs on herself. Sometimes there are so many spiders that only its 8 eyes remain open on the spider’s body.
• The New Zealand cellar spider was immortalized in cinema thanks to director Peter Jackson, who used this species as the prototype for the spider Shelob.
• Very beautiful flower spiders lie in wait for prey on flowers, and adult females, as a camouflage, change their color depending on the color of the petals.
• The history of mankind is closely intertwined with the image of the spider, which is reflected in many cultures, mythology and art. Each nation has its own traditions, legends and signs associated with spiders. Spiders are even mentioned in the Bible.
• In symbolism, the spider personifies deceit and immeasurable patience, and the spider’s venom is considered a curse that brings misfortune and death.

Spiders are arthropods that belong to the class of arachnids. Representatives of this class, today, there are about 40 thousand species. They differ from each other in their way of life, appearance, and type of nutrition. In nature there are a wide variety of types of spiders: the smallest and most harmless spiders (0.37 mm), as well as the most dangerous spiders and even the most poisonous spiders in the world (up to 25 cm). And in this article we will tell you about several amazing and interesting species.

Tarantula spider – Theraphosidae

The tarantula spider is perhaps the most big spider in the world, or rather the family of tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae). Some members of this family can reach 30.5 cm in leg span, such as the king baboon, black tarantula and purple tarantula. The body of tarantulas is always densely covered with long and short hairs. Body color can be either gray-brown or bright colors (red, blue, red). Tarantulas live in countries with hot climates (Africa, South America, Oceania, Australia). These spiders inhabit abandoned nests of birds and rodents or dig holes near tree trunks. They are active mainly in the evening. Then they go hunting or catch a prey running nearby. Tarantulas feed on insects, small birds and rodents. These spiders breed in late summer. The female lays eggs in a cobweb cocoon, which she carries with her and does not lose sight of. They protect the offspring, so that the spiderlings that emerge from the cocoon continue to sit on the mother’s abdomen for some time. But soon they begin to lead an independent life. The tarantula's venom paralyzes the victim and decomposes its entrails, then the spider sucks out the contents of the victim's body. For humans, the tarantula's venom is not dangerous, but quite painful. The bite site bakes, hurts and swells, sometimes becomes yellow. But these symptoms go away after a few weeks.

Cross spider – Araneus

Crossworts are members of the orb weaver family (Araneidae). They belong to the contract web spiders. They have an egg-shaped convex abdomen, on which there is a pattern in the form of a cross. Body color ranges from gray to red. They are covered with long bristles, sparsely distributed throughout the body and densely covered with short, thin hairs. Body length in males is 10-11 mm, in females – 17-40 mm. About 30 species of crosses live in the CIS and Russia. These spiders are active in the evening. They deftly weave webs that catch many small insects. Mating and egg laying occurs in the fall. The female lays eggs in a cobweb cocoon and hides it under the bark or other secluded place. In the spring, spiderlings emerge from the cocoon. By the end of summer, a new generation of spiders grows up, and their mother dies. The cross spider is poisonous, but it is not dangerous to humans. Its bite is painful, but the burning and swelling at the site of the bite goes away after a few hours.

Karakurt spider - Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

This is not a large black spider at all. The body of the female (10-20 mm) is completely black, which is why she is also called a black widow, the body of the male (4-7 mm) is also black, but with bright red spots on the abdomen (usually 13 spots ). The karakurt spider lives in Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, and on the shores of Mediterranean Sea, in North Africa, Southern Europe, Kazakhstan, southern Russia and Ukraine. They prefer the slopes of ravines, virgin wormwood, wastelands, and the banks of irrigation ditches. Karakurts inhabit abandoned rodent burrows and ventilation systems, entwining the entrance with cobwebs. In such dens, females and males mate at the end of summer. The female lays her eggs in a cocoon of cobwebs and hangs it in her den. In spring, spiderlings emerge from cocoons. Karakurts feed on small insects. Their venom is toxic to large animals and people. There is a burning sensation and swelling at the site of the bite. After 10-15 minutes, the poison spreads throughout the body and the person experiences pain in the chest and abdominal area. Dizziness, nausea, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and delirium also occur. And if medical assistance is not provided in time, death is possible (in most cases). Karakurt bites through the skin only 0.5 mm, so it is recommended to cauterize the bite site with a lit match within 2 minutes after the bite.

White karakurt - Latrodectus pallidus

Image of white karakurt

This is a white spider, with long legs and a round abdomen. The abdomen is white or milky in color, with 4 indentations. The legs and cephalothorax are yellow or light brown. White spider has a body 10-20 mm long. Females are larger than males. White spiders weave a web in the shape of a cone, which is connected to a trapping net. They live in North Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The white karakurt spider is not aggressive, but its poison is toxic and can cause complications. Children and the elderly are most susceptible to the effects of the poison. Toxicological studies have shown that the poison of the white karakurt is similar to the poison of the karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimtugattus). If you are bitten by this spider, you should consult a doctor.

Camel spider - Camel spider

Camel spider has many names: phalanges, bihors, salpugs, hairdressers, barbers, wind scorpion. The body (5-7 cm) is slightly oblong, light and dark red, densely covered with long, thin hairs. The camel spider's body shape is similar to a scorpion, especially with its chelicerae (claws). With them he is able to bite through a human nail and even small bird bones. He also uses his chelicerae to trim hairs and feathers from his victims and place them in his home. The camel spider lives in the desert regions of Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. Phalanx spider is a nocturnal predator. It is practically omnivorous and carnivorous, feeding on various insects, rodents, and lizards. Camel spiders have eyes like scorpions: 2 compound eyes in the middle and one on each side of the cephalothorax. Compound eyes are highly responsive to movement, so these spiders are incredibly fast, up to 53 cm/s (1.9 km/h).
The camel spider is not poisonous, but it does have an incredibly painful bite. And also on its chelicerae the remains of the tissues of the previous victim can rot, which can cause serious inflammation.

Jumping spiders – Salticidae

Jumping spiders or jumping spiders are a family of araneomorphic spiders that includes 610 genera and 5,800 species. Live in tropical forests, in deserts, semi-deserts, temperate forests and mountains. These are small spiders, up to 2 cm long. The body is pubescent. These spiders have well-developed vision. They have 8 eyes, thanks to which they see 360º degrees. Jumping spiders differ from each other in body shape, color and range. There are the following types of jumping spiders:
- the golden jumping spider lives in the south-east of Asian countries, and is characterized by a long abdominal part and a large first pair of legs. The body has a very peculiar golden color. The length of the male rarely exceeds 76 mm, and the females are larger;

- Himalayan jumping spiders are the smallest spiders. They live high above sea level, in the Himalayas, where their only prey is the occasional small insect that is blown onto mountain slopes by strong winds;

- The green jumping spider lives in New Guinea, New South Wales and Queensland. Often found in Western Australia. The male has a very bright color, and his body is decorated with long white “whiskers”;

- The red-backed species of jumping spider settles in relatively dry areas. The red spider is often found on coastal dunes or oak woodlands North America. These red spiders are unique in that they are able to build tube-like silken nests under rocks and on the surface of vines;

- the species Hyllus Diardi has a body up to 1.3 cm long. Compared to other types of jumping spiders, it does not weave a web, therefore, to catch prey, it attaches a silk thread to some support, and then jumps from such a peculiar “bungee” onto its victim;

- the ant jumping spider looks very similar to an ant and is most often found in tropical zones from Africa to central Australia. Body color can vary from light yellow to black.

Jumping spiders are unique in that they can jump long distances (up to 20 times their body size). Before jumping, they cling to the substrate with a web (thus securing their jump), then push their body out with their hind legs. Jumping spiders are absolutely harmless to humans. They have poison, but it has no effect on humans, and their bite is almost painless.

Argiope bruennichi or spider wasp - Argiope bruennichi

Argiope has the second name of the wasp spider, since the color of the body and the shape of the abdomen resemble a wasp. Body length 2-3 cm (leg span). The abdomen is elongated with bright stripes, the predominant colors are yellow, white, and black. The legs are long, thin, and mostly in an X-shaped position. The spider wasp lives in Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, Central Asia, China, Korea, India and Japan, North Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Crimea, and the Caucasus. These spiders are also found quite often in Russia. Argiope belongs to the spiders of the orb-weaving spider family (Araneidae). It is typical for these spiders to weave a wheel-shaped web, and have a stabilimentum (zigzag pattern) in the center. This is a forest spider. It very often settles on lawns, forests, gardens, in tall grass, between tree branches. The wasp spider feeds on various insects. Mating occurs after the female has moulted, while her body remains soft. The female lays eggs in a large cocoon (outwardly resembling a plant seed pod) and places it next to the hunting web. The spiderlings emerge from the cocoon at the beginning of autumn and settle downwind on cobwebs. The wasp spider is not dangerous to humans. Its venom may only cause slight redness, swelling and pain, but these symptoms go away very quickly.

Wolf spiders – Lycosidae

Wolf spiders are a family of araneomorph spiders that number 2,367 species. The body color is usually gray-brown. The body is covered with small short hairs. Some species reach more than 3 cm (leg span). The wolf spider lives almost everywhere except Antarctica. He prefers rain forests, meadows, hiding under fallen leaves, stones, wood. They don't weave webs. These are earth spiders, so they live in a hole, which is only covered with cobwebs inside. If this is the private sector, you can easily stumble upon it in the basement. If there is a vegetable garden nearby, he can easily get into your cellar. Active at night. The wolf spider hunts insects or catches those who run near its burrow. This spider is a good jumper. He can jump on the victim, securing himself with a web. Mating occurs in the summer. After mating, the female lays eggs in a cocoon that she carries at the end of her abdomen. After 2-3 weeks, the spiderlings emerge from the cocoon and climb onto their mother’s abdomen. They sit like this until they learn to get their own food. The wolf spider is not dangerous to humans. Its bite is equivalent to a bee sting, which causes itching, swelling and redness, which goes away fairly quickly.

Harvesting spiders – Pholcidae

This family has about 1000 species of spiders. Harvesting spiders have a small body and long thin legs. Body size 2-10 mm. The length of the legs reaches 50 mm. Body color is grayish or reddish. Harvesting spiders are ubiquitous. Some species live in people's homes. There they find warm and dry places, mainly near windows. They feed on small insects. These spiders weave large webs in a chaotic manner. The web is not sticky, but when the victim tries to get out of it, it becomes even more entangled. After mating, females lay eggs in a web cocoon, which they attach to the side of the trapping nets. For humans, harvest spiders are absolutely harmless. Their venom is safe, and the bite cannot be felt.

Goliath tarantula - Theraphosa blondi

This giant spider considered the largest in the world. The span of its legs reaches 30 cm. In Venezuela (1965), one of the representatives of this species was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The span of its legs was 28 cm. It is believed that the leg span of Heteropoda maxima is even longer, up to 35 cm. But this species has a small body and long thin legs. So he is small compared to the massive goliath.
The body of the goliath is light or dark brown, densely covered with short hairs. They live in burrows, the entrance of which is covered with cobwebs. This one lives huge spider in the tropical forests of Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, and northern Brazil. It feeds on various insects, rodents, frogs, lizards and even snakes. The life expectancy of females is 15-25 years, males - 3-6. These spiders are amazing in that they are able to make a hissing sound by rubbing their chelicerae; the ability to shake hairs from the abdomen into the enemy’s face, which cause swelling of the mucous membrane. The goliath tarantula also has large and sharp chelicerae (claws), with which it can bite very painfully. Their venom is not dangerous to humans; the symptoms are the same as after a bee sting.

Runner spider (soldier spider, banana spider, wandering spider) – Phoneutria

The Brazilian spider is the most poisonous spider in the world. The length of its body reaches 15 cm. The body is pubescent, gray-brown in color. He lives in Central and South America. The runner spider feeds on insects, frogs, lizards, and small birds. Lives in burrows, under leaf litter. But very often, secluded places in people’s homes become its home. It is often called banana because it is often found in boxes of bananas. These scary spiders have incredibly toxic venom that causes instant death, which is why they are the most poisonous spiders in the world. Their venom contains the neurotoxin PhTx3, which paralyzes all muscles in the human body, causing suffocation and then death. Only 2-6 hours pass between the bite and death. Old people and children are most exposed to the runner spider's venom. Today there is a vaccine that neutralizes the effect of the poison, so if you are bitten by a spider, you should immediately consult a doctor.

As you can see, representatives of arachnids are so different: some of them are pleasing to the eye, while the sight of others makes the blood freeze in your veins, some can be picked up or kept in your home as a pet, and some sow fear and bring instant death. Now you know which types of spiders are absolutely harmless and which ones you need to stay away from. The good news is that dangerous species Spiders are not found in our area, but mainly in tropical countries. But you never know what can happen... Nature is absolutely unpredictable.

The spiny spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis) belongs to the arachnids.

Spread of the spiny spider.

The spiny spider is distributed in many parts of the world. It is found in the southern United States from California to Florida, as well as Central America, Jamaica and Cuba.

Habitats of the spiny spider.

The spiny spider is found in forests and bush gardens. Many individuals inhabit citrus groves in Florida. They often live in trees or around trees and bushes.

External signs of a spiny spider.

The sizes of female spiny spiders range from 5 to 9 mm in length and from 10 to 13 mm in width. Males are small, 2 to 3 mm long and slightly smaller in width. Six spines are present on the abdomen. The color of the chitinous cover depends on the habitat. The spiny spider has white spots on the underside of the abdomen, but the color of the back may be red, orange or yellow. In addition, some individuals have colored limbs.

Reproduction of the spiny spider.

Mating in spiny spiders has only been observed in laboratory conditions, where there was one female and one male. It is assumed that mating occurs in the same way in nature. However, scientists are not sure that these spiders are a monogamous species.

Laboratory research mating behavior show males visit female webs and use a 4-fold vibrating rhythm on the silk web to attract a female. After several cautious approaches, the male approaches the female and mates with her.

Mating can last 35 minutes, then the male remains on the female's web.

The spider lays 100 - 260 eggs, and then dies. In order for the eggs to develop, the female creates a cobweb cocoon. The cocoon is located on the underside, sometimes on the top side of a tree leaf, but not on the trunk or the top of a branch. The cocoon is oblong in shape and made of loosely woven thin threads that are firmly attached to the underside of the leaves with a strong disc. The eggs are contained in a loose, spongy, tangled mass of yellow and white threads, attached on one side to a disk. The top of the cocoon is covered with a layer of several dozen coarse, hard, dark green threads.

These threads form various longitudinal lines on the body of the cocoon. The structure is completed by a covered mesh canopy located above the cobweb mass, connected to the leaf. The eggs develop during the winter. The hatched spiders learn to move correctly for several days, then disperse in the spring. Young females spin webs and lay eggs, while males are needed only for fertilization. Both males and females are able to reproduce between 2 and 5 weeks of age.

This type of spider does not live in nature for very long. In fact, they live only until breeding, which usually takes place in the spring after winter. Females die immediately after weaving a cocoon and laying eggs, while males die after six days.

Peculiarities of behavior of the spiny spider.

Spiny spiders build their hunting web every night, testing the strength of the web threads. They weave webs mainly on adult females, because males usually sit on one web thread of the female's nest. The spider hangs on the web below, waiting for her prey. The network itself consists of basic basis, which consists of one vertical thread. It connects to the second main line or along the main radius. In both cases, the structure is pulled into a corner, forming three main radii. Sometimes there are more than three main radii in a network.

After creating the base, the spider constructs an external network arranged in a spiral.

All spider threads are connected to the central disk. There is a difference between the thickness of the main and secondary threads.

Feeding of the spiny spider.

Female spiny spiders build webs that they use to capture prey. The female sits in the web, waiting for prey on the central disk.

When small insect gets caught in a web, she rushes towards him, feeling the hesitation of the victim.

Having determined its exact location, it bites, injecting a toxic substance. The female then transfers the paralyzed prey to the central disc. If the prey is smaller in size than the spider, it simply paralyzes it and then sucks out the contents without packaging it in the web. If the caught prey is larger than the spider, then packaging and moving to the central disk is required.

Sometimes several insects get caught in the net at once, then the spider must find all the victims and paralyze them. The spider does not tolerate them in order to immediately suck them out, but appears only when necessary. The spiny spider can only consume the liquid contents of the insides of its prey. The chitinous cover of eaten insects hangs on the web in a mummified state. The main food of spiders: fruit flies, whiteflies, beetles, moths and other small insects.

Hunting of the Spiny Spider

Ecosystem role of the spiny spider.

Spiny spiders hunt small insect pests that damage plant leaves and control the number of such insects.

Meaning for a person.

This tiny spider is interesting view for study and research. In addition, the spiny spider hunts small insects in citrus groves and helps farmers get rid of pests. This type of spider forms various morphological forms in different habitats. Researchers can study genetic variations, the effects of temperature changes, and adaptations to specific environmental conditions.

The spiny spider may bite, but the bites do not cause much harm to humans.

People are afraid of the spiny growths, which can scratch the skin upon contact with the spider. But awesome appearance compensated by the benefits that spiny spiders bring by preserving the harvest of citrus crops.

Conservation status of the spiny spider.

The spiny spider is found in abundance throughout the western hemisphere. This species has no special status.

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The karakurt spider is one of the most dangerous creatures on earth. Despite its small size and non-threatening appearance, the karakurt's venom is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake and 50 times stronger than that of a tarantula. For a horse or camel, a karakurt bite is often fatal.

The karakurt spider is one of the most dangerous creatures on earth

Without prompt medical intervention and professional help, a meeting with a person can also result in death, although such cases are extremely rare. The black spider evokes mystical associations due to the presence of 13 bright red spots on the body and cannibalistic family traditions. Kalmyk shamans use a dangerous creature in some rituals. There is a common belief that karakurts live only in deserts and do not pose a danger to residents of the central and even southern steppe and forest regions, but this is not so. Recently, the migration of biting “robbers” to the north has been obvious, and climate warming has led to the fact that karakurts are recorded in regions where they have never been observed before.

The poisonous karakurt spider belongs to the order of spiders of the family of web spiders from the genus of black widows. Translated from the Turkic language, the name is literally translated as a black worm. The Latin name Latrodectus tredecimguttatus reflects the external characteristics - 13 points on the back and the essence of the spider (biting robber). What does the karakurt spider, which is sometimes called the steppe spider, look like? In terms of size, the spider belongs to the medium arachnids. The size of the male is 4-7 mm, the female karakurt is 2-3 times larger and can reach 20 mm. The body of the eight-legged spider is black, with a pronounced abdomen. Both males and females have red spots or dots on the upper side of the abdomen. On the lower part of the abdomen a clear scarlet pattern is visible, similar to the outline hourglass. The spot on the abdomen often has a snow-white halo. Adults (males) can be completely black. Karakurt is a predator; it feeds on insects, which it uses a web to catch.

Despite its small size and non-threatening appearance, the karakurt's venom is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake and 50 times stronger than that of a tarantula.

White karakurt, also related to web spiders, has a white or yellowish color. There is no hourglass pattern or spots on the body, but there are 4 indentations forming a rectangle. White spiders are much less poisonous, their bite is not dangerous to people, although the venom of the white karakurt is similar in its toxicological properties and effects on the human body and animals to the venom of the black widow. White karakurts can be found in Russia and neighboring countries, but the main habitat is located further south - in North Africa, the Middle East, and also in Central Asia. Let's focus on the black widow karakurt as the most dangerous representative spymasters, whom you can meet at domestic resorts.

Karakurts are distinguished by their fertility; in the southern regions, there are periodic surges in the birth rate, which entail an increase in the number of casualties among people and loss of livestock. Poisonous spiders in Kazakhstan and Crimea attack dozens of people every year, but serious consequences occur extremely rarely. The female lays more than 1,000 eggs per year, which are placed in a protective cocoon. The newly born spiders continue to live inside the cocoon and emerge from there only next spring. Puberty occurs 2-3 months after the spiderlings leave their original home. Eggs are laid in holes on the ground or in rodent burrows. Fertilization occurs during the hottest months of summer. After mating, the female karakurt eats the male, although there are exceptions - for unknown reasons, the female can either destroy the male before mating or leave him alive after fertilization.

Gallery: karakurt spider (25 photos)

Black widow spider or karakurt (video)

Habitat and biological enemies

The zone of residence of the Karakurts covers the Crimea, the south of Russia and Ukraine, the Astrakhan steppes, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa. When migrating north, spiders reach Saratov region, Southern Urals and even the Moscow region, but settle in northern regions they cannot; in winter the spiders die. For living, karakurts choose dry steppe areas and arable lands, wastelands, salt marshes, slopes of ravines, ditches, ruins of abandoned villages, cracks in adobe houses. The spider can also be found in populated areas, on summer cottages, sometimes it penetrates a person’s home. The peak of activity occurs during the fertilization period - June-August.

The natural enemies of karakurts are:

• sheep and goats, which are not affected by the karakurt bite;
• sphex wasps that inject their venom into spiders, which paralyzes them;
• insect riders that lay their eggs in karakurt cocoons;
• hedgehogs that are not vulnerable to spider attacks.

Flocks of sheep or herds of goats are used to trample down the nests of karakurts; the Crimean peninsula is thus cleared of poisonous creatures during periods of sharply increased reproduction or when clearing pastures for horses, cows and other livestock. During outbreaks of spider births, they can cause significant harm to livestock, so carrying out preventive measures necessary.

Danger to humans

As a rule, males and young individuals do not pose a danger to humans, since they cannot bite through the skin with their weak jaws, although isolated cases of attacks are known. Adult females pose a danger, especially in July-August. You can distinguish the female by its color. Males have red spots with white rims, while females have no edging. Sometimes in females the red spots change to yellow stripes. Females have long legs up to 30 mm and are significantly larger than males.

The attack happens very quickly. Karakurt attacks only in self-defense. Nature has endowed the spider with such a strong poison so that it can capture the burrows of small rodents, which do not come into conflict with it and immediately vacate their territory. A predator can attack when it first seems to be in danger, so it is better to avoid contact with it. The difficulty in detecting danger lies in the fact that karakurts do not weave their network in classic look. The threads are arranged horizontally, the web does not have a characteristic pattern and is chaotic. Attacks occur most often at night and on vacation, when you can accidentally crush the karakurt or disturb the web.

A spider bite is not painless, but it does not cause much concern. The bite site is marked with a small red spot, which disappears after a few minutes. After the poison has taken effect, the bitten person begins to experience severe pain in the damaged area. Specific psychological and physiological reactions arise.

In the first minutes and hours after the bite, poisoning is characterized by the following symptoms:

• strong mental agitation;
• feeling of fear of death, panic;
• spasms and suffocation;
• severe pain in the abdomen, chest and lower back;
• feeling that the legs are being taken away;
• bluish complexion;
• shallow breathing, dizziness;
• sometimes cramps of the arms and legs, tremors, vomiting;
• increased heart rate, arrhythmia;
• retention of urination and defecation;
• increased protein content in urine.

After the body’s initial reaction, a person experiences lethargy, apathy, weakness, depression, and sometimes delirium, but severe pain persists. After a few days, a red rash appears on the body. Lethal outcome is possible in especially dangerous cases with general weakness of the body and lack of qualified medical care, especially if the victim has diseases cardiovascular system. If the course is favorable, recovery occurs within 3-4 weeks.

Beware of karakurt (video)

Treatment and prevention

The most elementary and known since ancient times method of treating a bite poisonous spider, supported by official medicine, is cauterization. The predator's venom is sensitive to heat and when heated is destroyed, losing its toxic properties. Therefore, immediately, within 2 minutes after the attack, the damaged area must be burned with a cigarette, match or other method. The spider does not have powerful jaws, the bite depth does not exceed 0.5 mm, so immediate cauterization has a strong effect. In any case, you should contact a medical facility as soon as possible.

As special measures, anti-caracourt serum is used, which is administered intramuscularly. The serum relieves the main symptoms of poisoning, and recovery time is reduced to 3-4 days.

The disadvantage of this product is its high cost. In the absence of a special substance, the following is administered intravenously:

• novocaine;
• calcium chloride;
• magnesium hydrogen sulfate.
• 33% ethyl alcohol;
• 2-3% solution of potassium permanganate.

The victim must be given water, rubbed with alcohol, and enemas are recommended. Universal remedies can be used as painkillers: Analgin, Diphenhydramine, Ketanol.

In cases of living in the territory inhabited by karakurts, it is necessary to be careful when cleaning residential premises, especially in adobe houses, and pay attention to the presence of cobwebs in household areas. When going outdoors, you should follow certain rules:

• don't sleep under open air in the habitats of poisonous spiders;
• do not come into contact with the inside of the tents;
• inspect the place where you spend the night or rest, paying attention to holes and natural depressions in the ground, rodent burrows, and if there are any, cover them with earth;
• use covering clothing and wear a hat;
• periodically, and without fail before going to bed, carefully inspect the tent, sleeping places, clothes, shoes and other property;
• use the canopy, tucking it under the sleeping place;
• dig around the tent, making a shallow ditch;
• do not take off your shoes;
• If you find a karakurt, do not touch it; if the spider is on your clothes, shake it off or knock it down with a click.

To prevent the death of domestic animals, the soil is treated with hexachlorane and other poisons.

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The spiny orb spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis) belongs to the class Arachnids.

Distribution of the spiny orb weaving spider.

The spiny orb weaving spider is found in many parts of the world. It is found in the southern United States from California to Florida, as well as Central America, Jamaica and Cuba.

Habitats of the spiny orb spider

They inhabit forested areas and bush gardens. Spiders are especially abundant in citrus groves in Florida. They are often found on trees or around trees and bushes.

External signs of a spiny spider - an orb weaver.

In spiny orb-weaving spiders, pronounced sexual dimorphism in size was observed. Females are 5 to 9 mm long and 10 to 13 mm wide. Males are 2 to 3 mm and slightly smaller in width. Six spines on the abdomen are present in all morphs, but color and shape are subject to geographic variability. Most spiders have white spots on the underside of their abdomen, but the coloration of the upper carapace can be red, orange or yellow. In addition, some spiny orb weaving spiders have colored legs.

Reproduction of the spiny spider - orb weaver.

Reproduction of spiny orb weaving spiders has been observed in captivity. Mating took place in laboratory conditions, where only one female and one male were present. It is assumed that a similar mating system occurs in nature. However, scientists are not sure whether these spiders are monogamous or polygamous.

Laboratory studies of mating behavior show that males visit a female's web and use a 4-fold rhythmic drumming call to attract the female spider.

After several cautious approaches, the male approaches the female and mates with her for 35 minutes or more. After mating, the male remains on the female’s web, and mating can be repeated.

The female lays 100 to 260 eggs in a cocoon, which is placed on the underside or upper side of the leaves next to the web. The cocoon has an oblong shape and is formed by loose, loosely fitting thin threads; it is firmly attached to the leaf blade using a special disk. On top, the cocoon is protected by another covering of several dozen coarse, hard, dark green threads. These threads form various longitudinal lines on the cocoon. After laying eggs, the female dies, the male dies even earlier, six days after mating.

Young spiders emerge from eggs and survive without the care of adults; they remain in place for several days to learn how to move. Then the spiders disperse in the spring, when they are already able to weave webs and lay eggs (females). Both males and females are able to reproduce between 2 and 5 weeks of age.

Spiny spiders - orb weavers - do not live long. The life span is short and lasts only until reproduction.

Behavior of the spiny orb weaving spider.

Reproduction of spiny spiders - orb weavers - occurs at the end of the year. Cobweb nets are built mainly by females every night; males usually hang on one of the cobweb threads near the female’s nest. The web trap hangs at a slight angle to the perpendicular line. The network itself consists of a base warp, which is formed by one vertical thread, it is connected to a second main line and radial threads.

The structure forms an angle formed by three main radii. Sometimes, a web has more than three main radii.

Having built the base, the spider begins to build a large outer radius, and then continues to attach secondary radii, which are attached in a spiral.

Females live solitarily in separate areas. Up to three males may hang on silken threads nearby. Females can be found at any time of the year, but are mostly found from October to January. Males are caught during October and November. Spider webs hang at a distance of 1 to 6 meters above the ground. They are active during the day, so these spiders easily collect prey at this time.

Diet of the spiny orb weaving spider.

Females build a web that they use to capture prey. They sit on the web with the outer side of the body turned downward, waiting for prey on the central disk. When a small insect or fly sticks to the web, the spider accurately determines the position of the victim and rushes to it to bite, then transfers it to the central disk, where it eats the prey.

If the prey is smaller than the spider, it simply paralyzes the caught insect and moves it to eat. If the prey is larger than the spider, then the victim is first wrapped in a web, and only then does it move to the central disk.

If several insects are caught in the net at once, the spiny orb weaving spider finds all the insects and paralyzes them. If the spider is well-fed, then the victims hang on the web for some time and are eaten later. The spiny orb spider absorbs the liquid contents of its prey, internal organs dissolve under the influence of poison. Dry carcasses, covered with a chitinous shell, are thrown out of the net. There are often mummified remains lying around the web. The spiny orb spider eats whiteflies, beetles, moths and other small insects.

The spiny orb spider got its name due to the presence of spines on its back. These spines provide protection against attacks from predators. These spiders are very small, and environment inconspicuous, which increases their chances of survival.