Keep a lookout for amazing arachnids
MAYBE you’re not the biggest fan of spiders but you have to admit, they’re pretty cool writes Ellie Sherlock.
First of all, spiders aren’t insects, they have too many legs. Both spiders and insects are arthropods belonging to the phylum Arthropoda (creatures that have a hard outside covering or exoskeleton) but insects have six legs (putting them in the class insecta) and spiders have eight (putting them in the class arachnida).
Spiders don’t use leg muscles to move, they use hydraulics to push their legs out that’s why when they die their legs curl up.
Spiders usually have eight eyes (but some will have six or less). Despite all these eyes, most web-building spiders can’t see very well. The reason spiders have so many eyes is because they have no head or neck to turn and spot potential prey or predators.
Spiders also have paws. These fluffy little tippy-toes are a crucial sensory tool for spiders, allowing them to detect sounds, smells and sense changes in their environment.
There are lots of different types of web and they aren’t just used to catch prey, some spiders make nests or cocoons out of silk to protect their offspring - which are called spiderlings.
Some spiders actively hunt their food, hiding and waiting for prey to walk past. The wolf spider is one species that is very fast in movement and will pursue their prey in order to get a meal. Wolf spiders got their name because they were originally thought to hunt in packs like wolves.
Spider silk is the strongest naturally occurring fibre known to man, stronger in weight than steel. Spiders produce silk from specialised glands called spinnerets. There are seven different silk glands which produce seven different types of silk, a single spider will not possess all seven of these glands but the males will have at least three types and the females four.
When a male spider is ready to mate he will make a sperm web which he will then coat his pedipalps in before heading off in search of a female. As in most animals the female is typically larger than the male and so the prospect of mating can be pretty daunting; many times resulting in the male being eaten shortly after the mating has taken place.
Some male spiders will even bring the female a gift of a tasty morsel wrapped up in silk to distract her whilst he gets down to business.
In our recent “Wild at the Whitworth” event we went on a search for spiders around the park, spiders are very useful for our gardens and provide an important food source for birds.
Our My Wild City project in partnership with Manchester City Council aims to inspire and reconnect the people of Manchester with the wildlife living right on their doorstep. Why not challenge yourself to look for spiders this winter?
You can record your sightings and get help with identifying the different species using the free iNaturalist app on your smartphone.
Funded by Esmee Fairbairn, this exciting project is now entering it’s second year. Keep an eye on our webpage at www. lancswt.org.uk/mywildcity for more info on upcoming events and opportunities.