Is a Spider an Araneae?

A spider is indeed classified as an Araneae, which is the order of spiders, and it belongs to the class Arachnida, a group of arthropods that also includes scorpions, mites, and ticks. The classification of a spider as an Araneae is based on its unique characteristics, such as having eight legs, chelicerae with fangs, and spinnerets that extrude silk, which distinguish it from other arthropods, including insects.

FAQs

General Questions

1. What is an Araneae?: An Araneae is the order of spiders, which are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs, and spinnerets that extrude silk.
2. What type of insect is a spider?: A spider is not an insect, but rather an arachnid, a class of arthropods that also includes scorpions, mites, and ticks.
3. What are the characteristics of Araneae?: Spiders (order Araneae) have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs, and spinnerets that extrude silk, and are the largest order of arachnids.

Classification and Evolution

4. What are the 7 classifications of a spider?: The classification of spiders is as follows: Phylum – Arthropoda, Class – Arachnida, Order – Araneae, Suborder Mesothelae – segmented spiders, Suborder Opisthothelae – includes all other spiders, Infraorder Mygalomorphae – ‘ancient’ spiders.
5. What is the largest group of Araneae?: The Araneomorphae is the largest suborder, consisting of about 90 families, 2700 genera, and over 32,000 species.

Spider Behavior and Biology

6. Do spiders have poor eyesight?: Spiders usually have eight eyes, but few have good eyesight, and instead rely on touch, vibration, and taste stimuli to navigate and find their prey.
7. What are spiders afraid of?: Spiders hate the smell of citrus fruits, peppermint oils, tea tree oils, eucalyptus, and vinegar.
8. How do Araneae eat?: All spiders are predators, feeding almost entirely on other arthropods, especially insects, and some spiders are active hunters, while others weave silk snares or webs to capture prey.

Venom and Defense

9. Is an Araneae spider poisonous?: Many Araneae spiders are venomous, but not all species produce venoms that are harmful to humans.
10. What is the biggest spider in the world?: The goliath birdeater spider is the world’s largest spider by mass, weighing about 5-6 ounces, and delivers a venomous bite comparable to that of a wasp sting.

Interesting Facts

11. What is the rarest spider name?: The Kauai cave wolf spider is considered one of the rarest spiders in the world.
12. Which color is a spider’s blood?: Spiders have blue blood, due to the presence of copper-based hemocyanin in their blood.
13. What is the lifespan of a spider?: The spider lifespan can vary, but most spiders live about two years, and some have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity.

Mythology and History

14. What is the mythical name for a spider?: In Greek mythology, the mythical name for a spider is Arachne, the daughter of Idmon of Colophon, who was a skilled weaver and challenged the goddess Athena.
15. What is the ancient name for spiders?: The ancient name for spiders is also Arachne, which is derived from the Greek word for spider, and is still used today to refer to the order of spiders, Araneae.