3 minute read
Autumn Is For Arachnids
Caitlyn Nalley
Caitlyn Nalley is a communications specialist in the DNR’s Office of Applied Science.
Silent and sneaky, spiders are known to spin intricate webs that can seem to come from nowhere. These cunning, eight-legged arthropods are around us all year long, but autumn is their big time to shine.
No, not because it’s spooky season, but because autumn is when certain spiders, like orb weavers, enter their mating season, becoming increasingly active and even more visible.
Estimates show there are more than 50,000 species of spiders throughout the world, and around 500 of them can be found in Wisconsin. In the Dairy State, these range from the smallest such as the flea jumping spider, about the size of a grain of rice, to the dark fishing spider, which can reach about 3 inches long with its legs outstretched — or about the length of a new crayon!
While that might sound intimidating, never fear. Very few spiders pose any true danger to humans. Even the dark fishing spider does not have venom harmful to people.
Although they might get blamed for ailments, spider bites are actually quite rare. Instead, most spiders are relatively timid and will typically run away if they feel threatened.
Spider Skills
The next time you encounter a spider outside, take a deep breath and try to remember all the good things spiders do to help our ecosystem. For example, spiders help keep lots of other insect populations like flies and mosquitos in check. Fewer mosquito bites? Yes, please!
Spiders, a type of arachnid, also can provide a valuable food source for bigger animals, including birds and lizards. Additionally, by eating other bugs that might like to munch on leaves, spiders can help keep the plants around them healthy.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about spiders, however, is their webs. Spiders are kind of like artists, and where we might see just a tree branch, they see a blank canvas to build upon.
Webs serve as a sort of “home base” for the spiders who create them. And because they’re so sticky, webs allow spiders to be protected and catch food.
Because their homes can get damaged by things like wind, rain and animals, spiders must be expert rebuilders. Thankfully, their webs are made of a protein-rich material called silk, which spiders can produce and skillfully weave themselves.
The average spider can weave an entire web in as little as 30 minutes to an hour, although the exact time varies depending on the species. That’s some real dream weaving!
Learn More
Here are a few fun facts about spiders.
Spiders are arachnids, a scientific classification that includes scorpions, mites and ticks. And they’re arthropods, creatures with a jointed body and no internal spine (known as invertebrates), having an exoskeleton outside the body instead.
Spiders possess a unique organ called a spinneret, which allows them to produce silk for webs.
A spider’s silk is actually stronger than steel when measured by weight.
The largest spider species by leg span is the giant huntsman spider. Found in the country of Laos, this spider can reach lengths of up to a foot across!
Scientists around the world are studying spider silk for potential uses in areas like clothing, surgical stitches, biodegradable plastics, lenses for medical imaging and more.
