A Brisbane spider resting in its constructed web
What Is A Spider?
A spider is an arthropod of the order Araneae, and though they are typically misclassified as insects, they actually belong to the class of Arachnida. Spiders can be found in most landmasses across the globe and there are more than forty-eight thousand individual species of the pest. There are very few habitats on the planet that are able to keep spiders at bay, with the only certain respite from the pest being the continent of Antarctica.
What Do They Look Like?
Considering the extreme diversity within the various species of spiders, it’s extremely difficult to provide a general description when you can expect to find spiders of every size and colour imaginable. However, generally speaking, spiders will have two main segments to their body, and their eight legs are heavily segmented and each will normally terminate in a varying number of claws - hunting spiders will typically have less, and silk-spinning spiders will have more.
A close-up shot of a Brisbane spider’s four simple eyes at the front of their head
Unlike insects, spiders do not have any antennae, and their eyes have
only a single lens rather than taking on the compound makeup of an
insect. If you can get close enough, the number of eyes on any
particular specimen can be a useful element to identify when you’d like
to classify the spider’s species - most species have three pairs of
eyes, though that number varies greatly, and some spiders manage to get
by without any sight.
Spiders will generally have a pair of fangs at the front of their head,
which they use to inject their venom into their victims. Their silk is
exuded from a small series of spinnerets which are normally located at
the back of their bodies, and zoologists are learning new things about
their silk production every year.
When Are They A Threat?
Spiders are not strictly seasonal and can be found at all times of the year. With that said, you might find yourself facing spiders more often at certain periods of the year (especially late summer), and that isn’t entirely an illusion; what you are likely noticing is the mating period of whatever species of spider you have encountered, during which sexually-mature males will being to wander outside of their usual habitat to try and find mates.
A South East Brisbane spider spinning its nest in the dark
How Do They Form New Nests?
Spiders can be known to carry their eggs on their body, meaning they are usually travelling from one place to another in search of food and water. Other spiders, however, may instead choose to leave their eggs in one place, creating a nest. It’s important to note that a spider’s web can be functionally different from a spider’s nest, as the latter is a permeant place of residence, while the former may only be a temporary means of catching food. The difference between the two is usually in the presence of egg sacs, which are small sacs of silk of a cream colour. The shape these homes can take is dramatically different between species, as while some will be content with a clump of silk, others, such as the trapdoor spiders, will create intricate traps from their webbing and lay in wait within them.
This spider is moving down a hanging web that it has already constructed
What Risk Do They Pose?
There are very few species of spider that actually present a threat to humans, with most doing whatever they can to prevent needing to bite the giants wandering across their paths. Some spiders, though, such as the red-back, funnel-web, and mouse spiders, can all be incredibly venomous, and any bite you sustain from them should be immediately treated by a professional to make sure you remain healthy afterwards, especially if the bite victim is either a young child or an elderly person.
Is There Anywhere In Particular They’re A Bigger Threat?
Considering the expansiveness of spiders, there is nowhere they’re considered more of an active threat because they are a constant threat everywhere around the world. However, the spiders considered most ‘dangerous’ to human health can be either the incredibly venomous species that live in the bush, or whatever spider is currently present in your home that may cause you an immediate health concern.
