Buzz
Spiders, among the most frequently encountered creatures, are also the most dreaded. Yet, much of the fear surrounding them stems from widespread misunderstandings. By gaining a deeper insight into spiders and debunking common myths, we might alter perceptions—or at least alleviate some of the anxiety associated with these fascinating arachnids.
10. Their Venom Isn’t as Dangerous as Believed
Bites from black widows and brown recluses are often portrayed as fatal. The common belief is that without immediate treatment, a bite from these spiders is lethal. However, the dangers of their venom are frequently overstated, and many alleged spider bite fatalities are actually due to other underlying health issues.
Spider bites are frequently misdiagnosed, with nearly 80 percent of supposed brown recluse bites turning out to be unrelated or incorrectly identified conditions. Brown recluse bites are often blamed for more severe issues like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Interestingly, these bites are even reported in regions where the spider isn’t found, simply because necrosis is commonly associated with them.
Black widows also instill fear, but their venom proves fatal in only 5 percent of untreated cases. Most fatalities occur among vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. Thanks to antivenom advancements, deaths from black widow bites are now extremely rare.
If you experience an unusual reaction or suspect a bite, the best course of action is to seek medical attention immediately rather than making assumptions.
9. Not Every Spider Spins Webs
While all spiders produce silk, its uses extend beyond web construction. The jumping spider, adored for its large, puppy-like eyes, uses silk as a safety line or parachute, allowing it to control its fall and land safely.
As ambush hunters, jumping spiders depend on their agility and the element of surprise to capture prey, rather than lying in wait on a web. Certain species can even manipulate their drag line while airborne, enabling them to alter their path mid-leap for a more accurate strike.
Other spiders utilize their silk to shield themselves from the elements, crafting layered roofs or enclosures. They often weave protective casings for their eggs to safeguard them from predators. Wolf spiders, for instance, construct retreats with silk when they’re not hunting. Instead of placing their egg sacs in hidden locations, they attach them to their spinnerets. After hatching, the spiderlings climb onto their mother’s back, staying safe and secure until they’re ready to venture out independently.
8. Harvestmen and Camel Spiders Aren’t True Spiders
All spiders possess venomous fangs, two body segments, and spinnerets on their abdomen for silk production. Many confuse the harvestman, or daddy longlegs, with spiders, despite its single body segment and lack of venom. This confusion is compounded by the fact that certain cellar spider species are also commonly referred to as “daddy longlegs.”
Despite common misconceptions, daddy longlegs are not highly venomous. Their fangs are too small to penetrate human skin. While cellar spiders have mild venom, harvestmen produce none whatsoever.
Camel spiders (Solifugae), which gained notoriety from images captured during the Iraq War, are not true spiders. Similar to harvestmen, they lack venomous fangs and silk-producing spinnerets. Tales about their aggression, speed, and danger could form their own collection of urban legends. In reality, while camel spiders can act aggressively when threatened, their bite, though painful, is only harmful if it leads to an untreated infection.
7. Spiders That Live in Groups
The typical mental image of a spider involves a solitary, plump arachnid guarding its web. While many spiders prefer solitude, some species exhibit social behavior. These spiders come together to construct shared webs, distribute food, and divide specialized roles, despite lacking the structured hierarchy seen in more advanced social creatures. Some colonies can grow to include tens of thousands of individuals.
This behavior can sometimes benefit humans significantly. In 2010, after severe floods devastated Pakistan, eerie photos emerged of trees entirely cloaked in spider silk. Fleeing the rising waters, countless spiders collaborated to weave webs across the trees, capturing prey. Typically, such floods lead to malaria outbreaks due to uncontrolled mosquito breeding in stagnant water. However, the spiders’ massive webs trapped so many mosquitoes that they prevented an outbreak.
6. Spiders Appear Bigger Because of Your Fear
Those with arachnophobia often describe encountering enormous spiders, but these accounts are likely exaggerated. A 2012 study by the University of Ohio revealed that individuals afraid of spiders tend to perceive them as larger than they truly are, while those without such fears see them accurately.
Participants with different levels of arachnophobia were shown a tarantula and asked to draw a line indicating its size. Those with greater fear consistently overestimated the spider’s size, perceiving a nickel-sized tarantula as closer to the size of a quarter.
A separate 2012 study revealed that individuals with arachnophobia perceive spiders as physically closer than they actually are. These findings suggest that horror stories involving spiders may not always be entirely accurate. However . . .
5. Spiders Are Growing Larger
Researchers in Australia have discovered that spiders living near urban areas grow larger than their rural counterparts of the same species.
The 2012 study attributes this phenomenon to the urban heat island effect. Cities generate more heat than rural areas, accelerating spider growth. Additionally, artificial lighting and abundant food sources in urban environments lead to higher populations of insects, which serve as prey for spiders.
Contrary to the image of encountering giant spiders in abandoned barns, the largest spiders are more likely to be found in areas much closer to human habitation.
4. Spiders Don’t Only Consume Their Prey’s Fluids
Films often depict spiders injecting chemicals into their prey to dissolve its insides. In reality, venom paralyzes the prey, and the spider regurgitates digestive enzymes onto it. As this occurs, the spider uses its jaws to break apart and consume the partially digested pieces.
Certain spiders, such as crab spiders, possess powerful jaws capable of piercing their prey and injecting digestive fluids. This allows them to feed at a later time, easily extracting the liquefied contents and leaving behind an almost intact carcass.
3. Spiders Aren’t Strictly Meat-Eaters
While spiders primarily consume insects caught in their webs or through hunting—like the Goliath bird-eating spider, whose name speaks for itself—many species also supplement their diet with nectar or plant matter. For instance, Bagheera kiplingi’s diet is only 10 percent prey, with the remaining 90 percent consisting of vegetation.
Spiders that hunt and capture prey have diverse diets. Many species will even prey on other spiders, including their eggs or members of their own species. Tarantulas, for example, are known to consume small birds and mammals.
Having spiders in our homes significantly reduces the number of harmful pests that can spread diseases. If you encounter a spider unexpectedly, it’s best to let it go. You’re unlikely to see it again, and it will help control populations of cockroaches, mosquitoes, and other unwanted insects.
2. You Don’t Swallow Eight Spiders a Year in Your Sleep
This bizarre statistic is often cited in lists of unbelievable facts, but it’s entirely false. Some sources suggest it was created as an example of how easily people can be misled by false information, though this origin story might also be an urban legend.
Several facts about spiders easily debunk this myth. First, spiders tend to avoid humans whenever possible. Despite their poor eyesight, they rely on other senses to detect danger. A sleeping person emits numerous signals—such as movement, breathing, heartbeat, and body heat—that spiders can perceive, identifying us as potential threats. Even if a spider were to approach our mouths, the warm, moist air from our nose and mouth would scare it away.
Additionally, the myth assumes we wouldn’t wake up if a spider crawled on our face, that we wouldn’t instinctively brush it off, that our lips would part, and that our throats would open to allow the spider inside.
Unless we deliberately attempt to eat spiders or they accidentally fall into a drink and can’t escape, it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever ingest one in our lifetime.
1. Having Eight Eyes Doesn’t Guarantee Excellent Vision
Spiders do not pursue humans, as we are far too large to be considered prey. Most spiders have limited vision and cannot discern fine details. Their eyes, some of which are positioned at the back of their heads, primarily detect significant movements or changes in light.
Exceptions include jumping spiders, wolf spiders, and a few other ambush predators. Jumping spiders, in particular, possess the most advanced eyes among arthropods, capable of seeing the full spectrum of colors.
Apart from these exceptions, most spiders can only see a few inches ahead, with some able to detect objects up to a foot away. If a spider appears to charge after being disturbed, it’s not being aggressive—it’s escaping as quickly as possible. To the spider, encountering a human is akin to us suddenly facing a giant spider in a horror film.
