Spiders are one of the symbols of Halloween and have stared in countless horror movies. They are a source of nightmares and one of the most common phobias in the world. They can grow to incredible sizes far beyond the size of most insects and are in fact not insects at all but Arachnids. The arachnid, like the praying mantis and the scorpion, is not insects and do not function like them. The arachnid for one does not have wings, vestigial or otherwise, and also does not have an antenna. They have eight legs and not six and have multiple eyes all around their head. They had only an abdomen and ahead with no thorax while all insects have a head, a torso and a thorax with either wings or vestigial wing parts. A spider is not a bug. Spiders do not actually eat insects but suck out their organelle soupy insides that are filled with proteins.
Spiders are divided into two segments, the head and torso, called tagmata. They possess a chelicera which is a mouth part shared by all anthropods which include arachnids. This means the arachnid mouthparts are evolutionarily similar to the octopus and similar in the number of legs and tentacles as well. This is likely because they are evolutionary cousins. This also comes with Ppedipalps which are the extended arm like pincers at the opening of the mouth. This too is shared with many anthropods. The spider also has what is called a simple eye. This is an early version of the eye sans retina. Humans and mammals have a multi-lens compound eye with a retina that can control the intake of light. While spiders can control the intake of light through their eyeholes, as they do not have actual eyeballs, but do not have the visual acuity of a mammal, bird or even lizard and some fish. The head of the spider is called the prosoma or Cephalothorax and is made up of just about everything on the spider from legs to eyes. The spider cannot chew its food as it has no teeth but it does have a small hypodermic like straw it can use to puncture an insect carapace and drink the liquified innards of the dying insect. The abdomen, or opisthosoma, contains structures like the digestive tube, the anus the oviducts and ovum of the female and hard folded structures called book lungs or epigastric plates. These are how the spider breaths. What is clear here is the distinction between insects and arachnids. Insects do not have organs but organelles in a free-flowing liquid of nitrogen bases and polymerase. The spider-like other arachnids have formed organs that function independently and differently from each other, however, they do not have a vascular system like a mammal.
The spider expells webbing from one to four modified pairs of telescoping organs called spinnerets. Ancient spiders were thought to have two pairs but modern spiders mostly have three or four in some cases. The reproductive organ of the male is at the tip of the pedipalps and look like tufts of fur or boxing gloves and make the male easy to identify. They are called palpal bulbs and are used to inseminate the female’s spider. This is a sexual act but does not involve actual penetration with a penis. The spider will then introduce this sperm to the female’s genital intake opening called an epigyne. Some spiders will form a nuptial web and lay a drop of semen in the center for a female to self impregnate herself with. Once the female lays her eggs she will die and the spiders she hatched will feed on her body in most cases.
Dealing with spiders is not very different from dealing with other pests. They do not breathe through their carapace but silica dust also known as Diatomaceous earth will break apart their bodies and clog their breathing apparatus. This is an effective treatment but is difficult to apply as spiders sleep on the ceiling in corners. You will need to create a spray of diatomaceous earth and a bit of soap and water. Shake it very well before every spray and use it on living spiders and areas where you have seen them frequent. This will kill them good and proper.
