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Is a spider an insect or not? Main differences. Research paper "Why is a spider not an insect?" How long do ordinary spiders live?

For some people, spiders are a phobia, while others, on the contrary, are very sensitive to these creatures. And many people also believe that spiders are insects. Next we will try to figure out if this is so.

Description of the spider

The spider is one of the ancient creatures of our planet. He is much older than the man. The remains of its vital activity, namely the web, were found in amber, which is more than 100 million years old. There is also evidence that arachnids lived on Earth back in the Paleozoic era, which is about 2.5 billion years ago. During this time, these creatures have changed little in appearance; they are predators and feed mainly on insects.

You can meet the spider in all corners of the planet. Spider species have been found on Everest, at an altitude of almost 7000 m above sea level, and one species even lives in water. This creature loves warmth, which is why most of the 40,000 known species live in tropical climates.

In order to understand who it is, what kind of animal it is, what class it belongs to, you need to understand the scientific classification of this creature. In descending order it looks like this:

kingdom: Animals;
phylum: Arthropods;
class: Arachnids;
squad: Spiders.

So, from a scientific point of view, we can say with confidence that a spider is an arachnid arthropod.

Important! Spiders only bite in defense, so to avoid trouble, you simply don’t need to bother them.

Is a spider an insect or not?

Looking at appearance spider, many will probably say that it is not an animal at all, but someone else. Most of all it looks like an insect, but is it true?

The fastest answer is found in the same classification: both insects and arachnids belong to the animal kingdom and the phylum arthropods. But then they are divided into classes - insects by themselves, and arachnids by themselves, since these classes have significant differences.

This is why the spider is a separate class of arthropod creatures.

General signs

Spiders and insects have a number of common features, since they belong to the same type of arthropod:

have a chitinous skeleton to which muscles are attached;
the eye of an arthropod is usually formed by many ocelli and is called facet;
all females of this class reproduce by laying eggs.

Did you know? The strongest web is that of the nephila spider. It can support up to 80 g of weight.

Main differences

Spiders and insects are classified into different classes due to the fact that there are significant differences between them:

a spider has 8 legs, and an insect has 2 fewer;
an insect has 3 body segments, and a spider has 1 less;
a spider creates a web, but an insect does not;
There are many times more species of insects than arachnids;
the spider is distinguished by the fact that it produces poison, which is needed for external digestion;
Arachnids, unlike insects, do not have metamorphism (transformation) in their life cycle;
communication system and nervous system in an insect it is many times more difficult than in an arachnid.

Hunting and what they eat

The spider is a true predator by nature. The basis of its diet is insects, sometimes it even catches small animals. Only one species feeds plant foods, this exception is the jumping spider.

The spider hunts with the help of a net skillfully woven from cobwebs. There are arachnids that use web shots when hunting and hypnotize the prey.

After capturing prey, the spider injects poison and digestive juice into the prey, and after some time sucks the nutrient solution out of the victim.

Structural features and description of species

The body of this creature consists of 2 segments, called the cephalothorax and abdomen, which are connected by a stalk. There are simple eyes on the head, there are from 2 to 8. certain types these eyes are very developed.

Three pairs of warts located on the belly secrete a liquid that closely resembles glue. When exposed to air, this liquid turns into a web.
The spider has 8 legs, and in front there are claws with poison.

Of the more than 40,000 species of spiders, we'll look at a couple of the most famous and interesting.

Did you know?At one time, females of some species of spiders can lay up to 20,000 eggs.

They inhabit steppes and forest-steppes throughout the planet. They differ from their counterparts in their enormous size. The body of a tarantula can grow up to 10 cm, and the leg span can reach 30 cm. Female more than a male and its weight is almost 100 g.

The structure of the tarantula is no different from other spiders, but it has brown or red hairs on its body and legs. He has 8 eyes. This “baby” lives in earthen burrows up to 30 cm deep and hunts at night.
Its main diet is insects and small amphibians. When threatened, the tarantula bites. Its bite resembles that of a wasp and is not fatal. You can only observe redness at the site of the bite and weakness. Very rarely, breathing becomes difficult and vomiting and nausea appear.

Important!If you are bitten by a spider, you should definitely consult a doctor. In addition to the main danger, spider venom can cause severe allergies.

Karakurt spiders differ from their relatives in being particularly poisonous. Their venom can be fatal to humans, it is more than 10 times stronger than poison cobras These creatures live in the southern regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, southern Ukraine, Central Asia and America. They do not live in open areas, but hide in mouse holes or stones.

The male spider does not exceed 1 cm in length, and the female can be 3 times larger. The latter has red spots on its abdomen.

Karakurts feed on small insects, placing their net horizontally above the ground.
It is noteworthy that only the female karakurt is poisonous, especially during the mating season. It can bite not only the skin, but also the nails. If you are bitten by a karakurt, you must provide assistance within the first 20 minutes.

Many people identify spiders as insects, but in reality they are not. These are animals that belong to separate class Arachnids. You should take a closer look at these creatures, as some of them pose a danger to humans. But if you know by sight dangerous species, then you can certainly avoid trouble.

The first spiders appeared about 400 million years ago. They descended from a crab-shaped ancestor. Today there are more than 40 thousand species of spiders. Many people are sure that spiders are insects. In fact, spiders are a separate order and class - arachnids (Arachnida, subphylum Chelicerata - Chelicerata, phylum Arthropods). Noticeably different from insects.

First of all, it is worth noting that spiders have not 6 legs, but 8. In front there are special limbs with poisonous claws - chelicerae. However, in Middle lane In Russia, the presence of spiders that are deadly to humans has not been registered. From the bite big spider You can only feel a burning sensation, fever and pain. Spiders will not attack first. If a small spider accidentally falls from the web onto a person, you should carefully blow it away and not hit it - otherwise it may get scared and bite.

Spiders usually have three pairs of arachnoid warts on their abdomen. Digestion in these arthropods is extraintestinal. Unlike, for example, predatory mantises, which chew a caught fly with appetite, the spider injects digestive enzymes into it, transforming
the insect enters the “soup” after a few hours, after which it sucks out the contents. Spiders have very strong webs; if a plane hits a pencil-thin web, it will not break.

Spiders usually have 8 eyes, sometimes 6, or very rarely - 2. Males have bulbs on their forelimbs, into which he places sperm to fertilize the female. Some males are already prepared for death after mating - they allow the female to eat them, others intend to fight for their lives and try to escape. In any case, males do not live long, but females need to raise offspring, so they live longer. Males are smaller, females are huge. Many females are caring mothers. They weave a ball-cocoon from a web and carry spiderlings in it.

Almost all spiders are predators. An exception is the Kipling's bagheera spider (Bagheera kiplingi). Biologists discovered this jumping spider in the forests of Central America, on the branches of an acacia tree. Spiders live on acacia trees along with ants. Ants protect these trees for the nutritional Belt bodies (named after the naturalist Thomas Belt) - sweet shoots at the ends of the leaves. tropical species acacia Spiders also feed on these formations.

The first thing that catches your eye when meeting insects is their long, constantly moving antennae. Spiders don't have antennas. Their eyes are also simpler, but there are many of them - most often eight. The body is covered by an external skeleton (exoskeleton). It consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen, connected to each other by a stalk.

The first spiders appeared about 400 million years ago. They descended from a crab-shaped ancestor. Today there are more than 40 thousand species of spiders.

Many people are sure that spiders are insects. In fact, spiders are a separate order and class - arachnids (Arachnida, subphylum Chelicerata - Chelicerata, phylum Arthropods). Noticeably different from insects.

First of all, it is worth noting that spiders have not 6 legs, but 8. In front there are special limbs with poisonous claws - chelicerae. However, in central Russia the presence of spiders that are deadly to people has not been registered. From a big bite
the spider can only be felt as a burning sensation, fever and pain. Spiders will not attack first. If a small spider accidentally falls from the web onto a person, you should carefully blow it away and not hit it - otherwise it may get scared and bite.

Almost all spiders are predators. An exception is the Kipling's bagheera spider (Bagheera kiplingi). Biologists discovered this jumping spider in the forests of Central America, on the branches of an acacia tree. Spiders live on acacia trees along with ants. Ants guard these trees for the nutritional Belt bodies (named after naturalist Thomas Belt), sweet shoots at the ends of the leaves of tropical acacia species. Spiders also feed on these formations.

Spiders are all around us. Therefore, it is important to know which spiders are safe and which ones you need to avoid.

Spiders are one of the oldest inhabitants of the planet, known from the Devonian and Carboniferous period. It is believed that they appeared approximately 400 million years ago. Creatures Paleozoic era had a characteristic arachnoid apparatus, but were more primitive. Their habitat is the widest - the entire planet, not counting Antarctica.

Spider Science: What is it called?

Araneology is the science of spiders, which is part of the branch of zoology - arachnology. Arachnology studies arthropod invertebrate arachnids. The origin of the name is ancient Greek.

Also, arachnology is the art of weather prediction based on observing the actions of spiders.

Spiders - what are they: types

Researchers know about 42 thousand species of spiders. Spiders can be divided into three large suborders, which differ mainly in the structure of the jaws, or more precisely, in the position of the chelicerae relative to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Suborder Orthognatha

More often, representatives of this suborder are called migalomorphs. Characterized by the presence of dense hairs, large sizes and the primitive structure of the jaws - the claw is directed downwards and grows only on the upper jaw. Respiratory system represented by pulmonary sacs.

The majority of mygalomorphs live in warm climates. They make burrows underground.

Orthognatha includes:

tarantula spiders
funnel spiders
ctenizidae
digger spiders

Suborder Araneomorpha

Almost all other species of spiders known to naturalists belong to large group Labidognatha or Araneomorpha. They differ in that both jaws are equipped with claws. The respiratory system is represented by the trachea.

Types of spiders that catch prey without a net:

crab spiders
jumping spiders
wolf spiders

Types of spiders using a trapping net:

linifid spiders
web spiders
funnel spiders, or house spiders
long-legged spiders
orb weaving spiders

Among araneomorphic spiders, there are also those that are not capable of producing cribellum - a substance from which spiders produce durable spider silk, and those who produce it.

Suborder Mesothelae

Lyphistiomorphic spiders are distinguished by the fact that the chelicerae are spread out to the side rather than pointing downwards. This position is considered more evolutionarily advanced. But this suborder is considered the most primitive; traces of it were found in Carboniferous deposits. Spiders have archaic pulmonary sacs and four pairs of arachnoid warts, which have not yet been moved to the end of the abdomen. They live in earthen burrows that are closed with a lid. Signal threads radiate from the minks. Although one species prefers caves, where it makes web tubes on the walls.

These include:

arthropod spiders
primitive arthrolycosid spiders
primitive arthromigalid spiders

Spider: insect, animal or not?

Spiders belong to a type of animal - the order arthropods in the class arachnids. Therefore, spiders are animals, not insects.

Differences between a spider and an insect:

a spider has four pairs of legs, and insects have three pairs
Spiders do not have antennae characteristic of insects.
many eyes, up to twelve pairs
the body of a spider always consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen
Some types of spiders have intelligence: they distinguish strangers from their own, can protect the owner, sense the owner’s mood, and even dance to music. No insect can do this, unlike an animal.

Spider body structure

The body of spiders, covered with chitin as an exoskeleton, consists of two sections that are connected by a small tube:

The cephalothorax is formed by the head fused with the chest
abdomen

Cephalothorax

The cephalothorax is divided by a groove into two sections: the cephalic and thoracic. In the anterior head section there are eyes and jaws - chelicerae. In most spiders, the chelicerae are directed downwards and end in a claw. The claws contain poisonous glands.
The lower part of the jaws - pedipalps, are used as palps and grasping elements. Between the pedipalps there is a mouth used for sucking. In some mature males, the pedipalps are also the cymbium - the copulatory apparatus.
Simple eyes are also located in the anterior cephalic region.
Four pairs of jointed legs are also found on the cephalothorax in the thoracic region. Each spider leg consists of 7 segments. The last segment of each leg has two or more smooth or serrated claws.

Abdomen

The abdomen can have the following shape: round, oval with processes, angular, elongated worm-shaped. On the abdomen there are stigmata - respiratory openings.
On the underside of the abdomen there are arachnoid warts containing arachnoid glands. The genital opening is located near the base of the abdomen. In females it is surrounded by a thickened chitinous plate, and in males the genital opening looks like a simple slit.

Spiders can grow up to 10 cm in size, and the span of their limbs can exceed 25 cm, it all depends on the species. The smallest representatives are only 0.4 mm in size.

The color and pattern depend on the structure of the scales and hairs covering the body, the presence of pigment and the type of spider.

How many legs and limbs does a spider have?

All spiders have four pairs of legs, which are located on the cephalothorax and are usually covered with hairs.
Each foot has crescent-shaped, comb-like claws. Between the claws, most often, there is a sticky pad - a claw-like appendage.
Spiders that weave webs have auxiliary serrated claws that allow the spider to move freely along the web.

How many eyes does a spider have?

Depends on the species. Some species have only two eyes, and some have up to twelve. Most species have 8 eyes, which are arranged in two rows.
In any case, the two front eyes are the main ones. They differ in structure from other lateral eyes: they have muscles to move the retina and do not have a reflective shell. The auxiliary eyes are also distinguished by the presence of light-sensitive retinal cells. The more of them, the sharper the spider’s vision.
Some spiders can see as well as humans and distinguish colors. For example, jumping spiders. Night hunters, for example, side-walking spiders, see perfectly not only at night, but also during the day. But wandering spiders see best.

How does a spider weave a web?

The thread of the web consists of many thin threads, which the spider glues together with a special liquid that quickly hardens in air. Thanks to this, the strength of the web is achieved so high that spiders even travel with its help, covering kilometers of distance.

The web can be dry, sticky, elastic - it all depends on the purpose of the thread.

Types of threads for webs:

for cocoon
catching sticky thread
for moving
to entangle prey
thread for fastening

The design of the web depends on the hunting method. When weaving, spiders use a thread that reflects ultraviolet rays, which most insects see. Moreover, the spider weaves ultraviolet-reflecting threads in such a way that they look like flowers, which also reflect ultraviolet. Therefore, insects fly to an alluring and sweet flower and end up in a web.

Stages of weaving a web:

The spider releases a long thread first. Such a thread is picked up by the air flow, rushes to the nearest branch and clings to it (Fig. 1, 2).
Then another free-hanging thread parallel to the previous one is woven. The spider moves to the middle of this thread, which is stretched under its weight, and weaves another thread in a downward direction until it finds a third support (Fig. 3).
The spider attaches a thread to the support and forms a Y-shaped frame.
Next comes the general contour and several more radii (Fig. 4).
An auxiliary spiral is woven at these radii (Fig. 5). This entire frame is woven from non-sticky thread.
Next, the spider weaves a second spiral with a sticky thread, towards the middle of the web from its edge.

Construction may take 1-2 hours.

How do spiders reproduce?

Males usually differ from females in size (the male is smaller), long legs, brighter coloring, and the presence of pedipalps, which appear in males only during the last molt.
First, males weave a special sperm web. Although some types are limited to a few stretched threads. Then the spider applies a drop of sperm to the web and fills the pedipalps with sperm, with the help of which it introduces sperm into the female’s seminal receptacle. And he goes in search of the female.
The spider finds the female by smell. Having found a suitable female, the male begins to cautiously approach. If the female is not in the mood for courtship, she will attack the spider and may even eat it.
If the female looks favorably at the male, then the male begins to lure the female: he performs “wedding dances,” “clangs” his legs, and brings prey. Having appeased the female, the spider carefully approaches her, touches her with the tips of her legs, then touches her with her pedipalps and retreats. The male also “drums” on the substrate.
If the female does not show aggression and “drums” herself, then the male carefully approaches and brings his pedipalps to the female’s genital opening. The act lasts for several seconds.
Then the male runs away so that the female does not eat him. Although this happens quite rarely. In one season, a female can have several males.
After 6-10 weeks, the female weaves a cocoon into which she lays up to 500 eggs. The female carefully guards the cocoon, holding it between the chelicerae. After another 5 weeks, the spiderlings appear.

How long do regular spiders live?

Most spiders live for a year. But some species, such as Grammostola pulchra from tarantula spiders, can live 35 years. Moreover, this applies only to females; even male tarantulas live for 2-3 years.

Non-venomous spiders: list with names

Absolutely not poisonous spiders does not exist. Poison is necessary in order to paralyze the victim, for protection.

But the venom of most spiders found is not dangerous. In some cases, there is so little that no one will notice, or there will be redness and swelling. Although in isolated cases an allergy to spider venom is possible.

Safe for humansfrequently encounteredspiders:

Common harvest spider. The size of the male is up to 7 mm, the female is up to 9 mm. Long-legged. They hunt in the dark. They like to gather in a group so that they look like a clump of fur. Weaves a non-sticky web. They scare off enemies by releasing an unpleasant odor.

More than 5 thousand species. This small in size A 5-6 mm spider that loves to bask in the sun and is excellent at climbing glass. Good jumpers, can jump up to 20 cm. They do not weave webs, attack by jumping, and have excellent eyesight.

More than 1 thousand species. Size up to 25 mm - females, up to 10 mm - males. On its abdomen there are several white spots forming a cross. Hunt with a round catcher net, which can reach 1.5 m in diameter.

Size up to 10 mm. It hunts from ambush, instantly grabs its prey and paralyzes it with poison. Doesn't weave networks. It has camouflage - if necessary, it changes color from rich yellow to white. Those that hunt on tree bark have Brown color, and those in the leaves are variegated.

House spider or funnel web spider, the most famous and widespread. The web weaves in a secluded place: on the ceiling, in the corner, behind the closet. The male is up to 10 mm in size, the female is slightly larger - up to 12 mm. The color is yellow-gray with brown spots.

The size of the female is up to 10 mm, the male is slightly smaller. The color is light yellow, sometimes greenish. On the underside of the elongated seed-shaped abdomen there are two light stripes. They build circular nets with large “holes” designed for long-legged mosquitoes. They build webs near water and are able to run on water.

The size of the male is up to 16 mm, the female is up to 12 mm. A rare spider, adapted to live in sluggish freshwater. Can swim. The abdomen is covered with hairs to retain air, so the spider appears “silver” under water. A “bell” filled with air weaves in the water, where it lives: rests, leaves reserves, eats caught prey.

Tarantula spider (tarantula). Large, up to 20 cm with a leg span. They have a beautiful variety of colors. Weaving a web. Some species are completely harmless to humans; the bite of others may cause swelling, redness, itching, heat, and muscle cramps. No deaths have been reported. They are the ones most often kept in houses; females of some species live up to 35 years. Very easy to care for. Birdeaters can even be trained.

Top 10 most dangerous, poisonous, deadly spiders in the world, on the planet: list with names

A resident of the tropics and subtropics of South America is the most dangerous spider according to the Guinness Book. The size of the spider is 10-12.5 cm. It is fast, active, does not weave webs, and constantly moves in search of prey. Loves bananas. It feeds on other spiders, insects, lizards, and birds.

When in danger, it rears up and shows its fangs. The poison is deadly for weakened people and children. Without assistance, death from the bite of some individuals can occur in 20-30 minutes. A healthy adult usually experiences a severe allergic reaction.

The habitat is the deserts of South America and Africa. They can go without water and food for a long time - up to a year. Size taking into account paw span up to 5cm.

When hunting, it buries itself in the sand, lets it get closer and attacks from cover. The poison is a hemolytic necrotic toxin that thins the blood and causes tissue decomposition. The victim dies from internal bleeding. No antidote has been created, but people die extremely rarely.

Habitat - Australia, within a radius of 100 km from Sydney. Size - up to 5 cm. Lives and hunts in stumps, under stones, on trees or open areas. The poison is not dangerous to most mammals, but is fatal to humans and primates.

When in danger, a spider rears up and shows its fangs. When biting, it digs into the victim's body and bites many times in a row. At the same time, it is difficult to tear it off. The poison is dangerous due to large doses. First, your health worsens: nausea, vomiting, sweating. Then it decreases arterial pressure and blood circulation is disrupted, and in the end the respiratory organs fail.

One of the most known species. Habitat - Mexico, USA, southern Canada, New Zealand. They prefer to live in the desert and prairies. The size of the female is up to 1 cm. Females are more dangerous than males. If bitten by a female, the antidote must be administered within 30 seconds.

Spider venom is 15 times stronger than poison rattlesnake. The bite site takes up to 3 months to heal. The bite is characterized by acute pain, which after 1 hour spreads throughout the body, causing convulsions. Difficulty breathing, vomiting, sweating, headache, paresthesia of the limbs, fever.

Outwardly similar to a black widow. Originally lived in Australia, it has now spread throughout the world, with the exception of the poles. Up to 1 cm in size. It feeds on insects, flies, cockroaches, even lizards.

The poison is not capable of killing a person, but after a bite one feels pain, cramps, nausea, increased sweating, and general weakness.

6. Karakurt - “black worm”

From the family of black widows, it lives in the steppe and desert zones of Russia. The size of a male is up to 0.7 cm, a female is up to 2 cm. The most dangerous poison is in females that have red dots on their abdomen.

The spider bite itself is practically not noticeable, but after a few minutes a sharp pain is felt, gradually spreading throughout the body. Convulsions begin, a red rash appears, the victim may feel causeless fear and depression. Without assistance, the bite can become fatal within 5 days.

The second name is violin spider. Habitat: northern Mexico, southern USA, California. The size of males is 0.6 cm, females are up to 20 cm. Not aggressive. Lives in dark, dry places: attics, sheds, closets.

The bite is practically insensitive. After a bite, the effect of the poison begins to be felt after it spreads throughout the body, within a day. The temperature rises, nausea, rash, pain throughout the body, and tissue swelling appear. In 30%, tissue necrosis begins, sometimes organs fail, and only a few deaths have been reported.

Initially inhabited only South America(Chile), now lives also in North America, found in Europe and Australia. Lives in abandoned places: barns, woodpiles, attics. It feeds on insects and other spiders. Size including paws - up to 4 cm.

The bite is painful, similar in strength to a cigarette burn. The poison has a necrotic effect. The victim feels severe pain. Kidney failure may develop. Treatment lasts many months, and 1 in 10 people die.

9. Wolf spiders

Habitat - the whole world, except Antarctica, but they prefer warm countries. They live in bushes, on grassy meadows, in forests near water sources, in fallen leaves, under stones. Dimensions - up to 30 mm. They feed on cicadas and bugs.

A bite from tropical species can cause prolonged pain, dizziness, swelling, severe itching, nausea, and rapid pulse. Their poison is not lethal.

Theraphose Blond

10. Theraphose Blonde

One of the largest spiders, the second name is the goliath tarantula. Body size is up to 9 cm, leg span is up to 25 cm. It feeds on toads, mice, small birds and snakes. Bites only in cases of danger.

The poison has a paralytic effect. But for humans it is only fraught with swelling and itching. When biting large animals or humans, poison is usually not injected. When in danger, the tarantula shakes off sharp hairs from its back, which cause irritation of the mucous membranes.

Although dangerous spiders a lot, they rarely attack. An attack, as a rule, is associated with defense, and in ordinary life, spiders stay away, preferring secluded places to live. There are few fatalities, but caution is always necessary when handling these animals.

Video. The strangest spiders and unusual spiders in the world

Krinitsyn Oleg

When I was little, I was very afraid of spiders - I ran away and hid from them. And when I grew up, I decided to learn more about them, so as not to be afraid, and maybe even make friends with these mysterious creatures.

In the summer I visited my grandmother in the village, I had the opportunity to watch the spiders. I even overcame my fear and began to pick them up and see how they would behave. It was very interesting. Adults knew a little about the life of spiders, so I began to look for material in books. I was able to learn a lot of interesting things about these amazing animals from encyclopedias. I was very interested to find out: how many types of spiders there are; what species are the spiders I observed; how they differ from each other; what do they eat; how they move along walls and ceilings. Also, I wanted to find an answer to the question: “Where do they get the web?” I also wanted to figure out why a spider is not an insect, because they are so similar. Many consider them disgusting, dangerous, disgusting. Therefore, I would like to change my opinion about spiders, tell adults and classmates why spiders are interesting and useful.

Download:

Preview:

Department of Education

Administration of the municipality

Nadymsky district

Municipal educational institution

"Average comprehensive school № 6
with in-depth study of individual subjects" Nadym

Research

Krinitsyn Oleg,

2nd grade student.

Pedagogical supervisor:

Katyukova Olga Viktorovna,

primary school teacher.

Nadym

2013

		Page
	Introduction
	Main part
2.1.	Who are spiders?
2.2.	Why is a spider not an insect?
2.3.	Interesting facts about spiders
2.4.	Spiders I watched in the village this summer
2.4.1.	Spider - Haymaker
2.4.2.	Funnel Spiders
	Conclusion
	Bibliography

I.Introduction

Among the creatures living next to us, spiders are without a doubt the most interesting... Karl Frisch

Purpose of the study:study external structure spiders, find the differences between spiders and insects, make sure that spiders are not insects.

Tasks:

study the literature on the topic of the research work;
compare spiders and insects;
find out what spiders live in your grandmother’s house and garden;
watch their lives
present the work to the children.

Hypothesis: Spiders have no signs of insects, they are not insects

I have identified research paths and methods:

studying sources of information;
observation;
conversation;
analysis;
practical work.

Object of study: spiders.

Subject of study: life of spiders.

II. Main part

2.1.Who are spiders?

From the encyclopedia I learned that spiders are the largest order of arachnids. Spiders (lat. Aranei ). There are 35,000 species described and this number must rise to approximately 50,000, since all spiders have not yet been studied.

Spiders appeared on Earth so long ago that it is even difficult to imagine (approximately three hundred and fifty million years ago), the ancestors of spiders first climbed onto land from the water in which the entire animal world lived in those distant times.

Spiders appeared a hundred million years earlier than flying insects, and when people appeared, spiders already felt like masters and looked like they do today.

Spiders are currently one of the thriving groups of animals. It is difficult to find a place in nature where spiders do not live. They have mastered everything natural areas Lands from deserts and tropical forests to the islands of Antarctica. Everest explorers found a spider at an altitude of 7,000 meters. Spiders survive where other animals die, for example, in highlands and caves. Spiders are very hardy and interesting animals.

All spiders are predators, but since they do not possess good eyesight, they lie in wait for their prey. Spiders catch prey on their webs or by other means. Spiders that catch prey with webs are called web spiders. With the help of the hiletser, the spider injects poison into the victim. After several hours, the prey turns into a thick mass and the spider “drinks” it. Yes, yes, exactly “drinks.” Spiders eat only liquid food. They suck out the victim, leaving behind a dry shell. Even such giants as the bird spider “drink” their victims as if through a straw. Moreover, their menu includes not only insects, but even lizards and birds. Sometimes they eat each other.

However, there are spiders that do not use webs for hunting. They overtake prey by jumping, wait in ambush, etc. The hunter's victim can be: frogs, small rodents, insects...

Spiders, scorpions and ticks are similar to each other, so they are classified as arachnids. Spiders are close to insects in a number of ways, but clearly differ from them, and these groups are related only by a very distant relationship.

2.2 Why a spider is not an insect

In order to figure out whether a spider is an insect or not, I decided to study and compare the structure of a spider with the structure of insects.

I learned that spiders have 2 body sections: the cephalothorax and abdomen. Spiders have 4 pairs of legs and pedipalps that are very similar to paws. The bases of the pedipalps are transformed into chewing organs.

Spiders have up to 8 simple eyes. Despite this a large number of organs of vision, many arachnids see very poorly. So bad that this distance is on average 30 cm.

Spiders do not have a skeleton inside their body. They have a hard outer shell called an "exoskeleton". As the spider grows, it needs to shed its old, tight shell. When molting, the spider climbs out of the old body and waits for its new body to dry and harden. soft skin. At the moment of molting, spiders are especially vulnerable.

At the end of the abdomen there are arachnoid warts. The substance coming out of them hardens and turns into threads of extraordinary strength.

Insects, Insecta - a class of creatures with the absence of vertebrae and the segmented structure of legs. They differ in body structure (divided into 3 sections - head, thorax and abdomen), one pair of antennae, 3 pairs of legs on the chest and mainly 2 pairs of wings. Some insects secrete various substances through special organs: cobwebs, silk, wax, poisons. The skin of insects is formed mainly from chitin, which forms a strong exoskeleton. The cavities are filled with the so-called fat body.

Insects have two eyes. They feed on plant and animal products. Insects in a colossal number of species inhabit the earth. Appeared in distant geological periods(starting with coal). About 10,000 species are known in fossil form.

Thus, we can conclude: spiders are not insects. They belong to the class of arachnids, and differ from insects primarily in their body structure. The spider's body consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen, breathing is carried out by pulmonary sacs and trachea. In insects, the body is divided into the head, chest and abdomen, and they breathe exclusively through the trachea. In addition, the spider has 4 pairs of legs, while insects are arthropods that have 3 pairs of legs and 2 pairs of wings . Also, an insect can be distinguished from a spider by the presence of antennae, but spiders do not have antennae.

comparison table

“What is the difference between spiders and insects”

2.3 Interesting facts about spiders

It should be noted that spiders, especially tarantula spiders, have a certain amount of intelligence; they can even distinguish between their own and others. These spiders are often used as pets. They are also very subtle and sense the mood of their owner, and therefore you can even play with them, they are even able to protect their owner if he is in danger, and they can also dance to music.

Spiders of the species Cyclosa mulmeinensis from Singapore are able to make a copy of themselves from debris and remains of victims caught in the net. The dummy has “legs” and reflects light like its prototype, and a blow of wind can create the impression that it is moving. In this way, these spiders deceive the wasps that hunt them, since the dummy is located in the most visible place of the web, and in most cases, predators attack it, allowing the real spider to hide.

Spiders of the genus Cyclocosmia, living in Asia and North America, have an original appearance: their abdomen ends with a hard surface in the shape of a disk, on which numerous grooves form an intricate pattern. In the species Cyclocosmia truncata, for example, this pattern resembles a seal. When this spider is in danger, it crawls into its burrow and plugs the entrance with its disk, which coincides with the entrance hole in diameter.

Spiders of the species Theridion grallator, which live only on the Hawaiian Islands, have an amazing body color that resembles a smiling human face, and the coloring of each individual is unique. Presumably, such a pattern should scare away their only enemies, birds.

It is possible to sew clothes from cobwebs, but it is several orders of magnitude more difficult and more expensive than from ordinary silk obtained from silkworm. The first documented mention of such clothing dates back to 1710, when the French scientist and entrepreneur de Seu Hilaire made gloves and socks from “spider silk” and presented them to King Louis XIV. More recently, a piece of fabric measuring just over 3 square meters was exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History. To obtain it, several dozen workers caught golden spiders in Madagascar for 4 years, then carefully removed the threads from them and released them back into nature.

The web has enormous strength potential. The thread made from their web, as thick as a pencil, can stop a Boeing at full speed. IN this moment ultra-lightweight and durable body armor using spider webs is being developed.

2.4 Spiders I watched in the village in summer

At my grandmother's in the village, I watched the hay spider and the funnel-web spiders.

2.4.1 Spider - Haymaker

Haymaker - we all know this amazing creature from the arachnid family with very long legs. If you grab a haymaker's leg, it will easily come off and twitch convulsively for many minutes. It is because of this movement, similar to the movement of a scythe, that the commonly known names “mow spider” or “haymaker” arose.

The haymaker's leg comes off so easily that it seems as if it is very loosely attached to the body. Actually this is not true. The throwing of the leg occurs voluntarily and depends on a special muscular movement. This phenomenon is called autotomy - self-mutilation. The autotomy of the legs in the haymaker, like the autotomy of the tail in lizards, serves for salvation from enemies. Approaching its prey, the predator first of all stumbles upon a palisade of limbs, and a torn off and twitching leg distracts it from the harvester running away on its remaining legs. Therefore, you can often find harvesters with an “incomplete” set of legs.

We will never see a haymaker weaving a web, making a lair for itself, or descending on a thin web thread - these arthropods do not have arachnoid warts.

You can meet haymakers on a tree trunk or on a fence, on the wall of a house or in cracks in the bark, under stones and in the litter in a forest, garden, park, field, or vegetable garden. Deciduous and mixed forests. In mountainous areas, these animals are found on rocks, in scattered stones and caves.

Haymakers go hunting at dusk or at night. They feed on insects, small spiders and other invertebrates.The biggest threat to spiders is the spiders themselves. In case of hunger strike, they even kill their offspring.

In my grandmother’s village, I was able to observe such a story. I put two haymakers in a plastic cup and fed them flies. But for some time I forgot about them and did not feed them, and two days later I discovered that there was one live spider in the glass - which was larger, and the other was eaten.

2.4 Funnel spiders

Perhaps one of the most famous spiders in Russia. He really loves to live in houses and households. buildings. Usually it weaves its network somewhere in a corner on the ceiling or behind a closet. In general, where the housewife’s broom cannot reach it. If he reaches it, the spider will not be upset: by the next morning he will mockingly build a new web in another corner. In the middle of the house spider's web there is always a funnel that leads into a small hole - its home. Here he sits and waits for prey - flying insects. As soon as someone touches the web, the owner jumps out from his hiding place and instantly deals with the troublemaker. There is usually a lot of dust in a person’s home, so very soon the web becomes dirty. It is his web that sticks to the ceiling and constantly sways.

The male grows up to 10 mm (not taking into account the length of the legs), the color is yellow-gray with brown spots. The female is larger, the color is the same as the male. Sometimes, if there is a lot of food, they grow to impressive sizes and at times crawl along the walls, scaring children and women.

The spider is timid and never attacks people. However, he can still bite if you accidentally crush him. However, the poison is not at all dangerous to humans and does not cause any visible consequences. The house spider is useful because it exterminates various insects that are harmful to people right in the apartment: flies, mosquitoes and various moths.

I also learned very much interesting fact: if you play at home musical instruments, then the spider will come out of its hole to listen to you, or even begin to “dance” on its web. It turns out that the problem here is not at all the musical preferences of spiders. The music shakes the web like small insects, and the spider, in anticipation of dinner, comes out to check: “Who is shaking my web?” Finding no one, he is probably very surprised and watches for a while, puzzled. And then he even tries to “shake off” the invisible insect from the web.

Funnel spiders, by the way, react very sensitively to changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, they can serve as a kind of living barometers. Previously, house spiders were completely trusted in such matters.

III. Conclusion

Some people are disgusted by the sight of spiders or afraid of them. This is often due to the fact that we know very little about these eight-legged animals. However, only a small number of spider species are dangerous to humans, and they do not live in Europe. Spiders are not insects, as many people think; they feed on them. Many spiders weave webs that trap their prey. And this makes spiders useful for people: they free us from flies, mosquitoes and other insects that often bother us. Without spiders, we would be stuck, so to speak, with insects.

While researching the life of spiders, I learned a lot of interesting things, read various literature about the life of animals and came to the following conclusion:

Spiders are not insects.

The life of spiders is very interesting.

They live near us different types spiders

The spider obtains its food using a web.

Spiders predict the weather, they are experts in weather changes.

Spider is man's friend!

From now on, I intend to study the life of these interesting animals even more deeply. And I will definitely share my knowledge and observations with my classmates, telling them about the amazing and diverse world spiders and their benefits for humans.

Bibliography

"Puzzles wildlife"; Moscow "ROSMEN", 2004
“My first book about animals”; Moscow "ROSMEN", 2006
"Around the world"; A. Tikhonov, Moscow “Bustard plus” 2008 https://accounts.google.com
Slide captions:
Why is a spider not an insect? Of the creatures living next to us, spiders are, without a doubt, the most interesting... (Karl Frisch) Prepared by Oleg Krinitsyn
Preface When I was little, I was very afraid of spiders - I ran away and hid from them. And when I grew up, I decided to learn more about them, so as not to be afraid, and maybe even make friends with these mysterious creatures. In the summer I visited my grandmother in the village, I had the opportunity to watch the spiders. I even overcame my fear and began to pick them up and see how they would behave.
Who are spiders? Spiders appeared on Earth a very long time ago, approximately three hundred and fifty million years ago, earlier than flying insects, and when people appeared, spiders already felt like masters and looked the same as they do today. It is difficult to find a place in nature where spiders do not live. Spiders survive where other animals die, for example, in highlands and caves.
Who are spiders? All spiders are predators, but since they do not have good eyesight, they lie in wait for their prey. Spiders catch prey on their webs. They inject poison into the victim. After several hours, the prey turns into a thick mass and the spider “drinks” it. Yes, yes, exactly “drinks.” Spiders eat only liquid food.
Why is a spider not an insect? Spiders are close to insects in a number of ways. In order to figure out whether a spider is an insect or not, I decided to study and compare the structure of a spider with the structure of insects. The spider's body consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen, breathing is carried out by pulmonary sacs and trachea. In insects, the body is divided into the head, chest and abdomen, and they breathe exclusively through the trachea.
Why is a spider not an insect? In addition, a spider has 4 pairs of legs, while insects are arthropods that have 3 pairs of legs and 2 pairs of wings. Spiders have up to 8 simple eyes. But despite this they see very poorly. This distance is on average 30 cm. Insects have two eyes. Also, an insect can be distinguished from a spider by the presence of antennae, but spiders do not have antennae. Thus, we can conclude: spiders are not insects.
Interesting facts about spiders It is interesting that spiders, especially tarantula spiders, have a certain amount of intelligence; they can even distinguish between their own and others. These spiders are often used as pets. They also very subtly sense the mood of their owner, and therefore you can even play with them, they are even able to protect their owner if he is in danger.
Interesting facts about spiders Spiders of the species Cyclosa mulmeinensis from Singapore can make a copy of themselves from debris caught in a net. In this way, these spiders deceive the wasps that hunt them.
Interesting facts about spiders Spiders, found only in the Hawaiian Islands, have an amazing body color that resembles a smiling human face, and the color of each individual is unique. Presumably, such a pattern should scare away their only enemies, birds.
Watching spiders At my grandmother's in the village, I watched the hay spider and the funnel-web spiders.
Haymaker You can meet harvesters on a tree trunk or on a fence, on the wall of a house or in cracks in the bark, under stones. The harvestman never spins a web - they do not have spider warts. If you grab a haymaker by its long leg, it will easily come off and twitch convulsively for many minutes. It is because of this movement, similar to the movement of a scythe, that the name “haymaker” arose.
Haymaker Haymakers go hunting at dusk or at night. They feed on insects and small spiders. But sometimes they eat each other. In my grandmother’s village, I put two haymakers in a plastic glass and fed them flies. Then I forgot about them and didn’t feed them, and two days later I discovered that there was one live spider in the glass - which was larger, and the other one had been eaten.
Funnel-web spider The funnel-web spider is one of the famous spiders in Russia. Likes to live in houses. Usually it weaves its network somewhere in a corner on the ceiling or behind a closet. In the middle of the web there is always a funnel that leads into a small hole - his home. If someone touches the web, the spider jumps out from its hiding place and instantly grabs the troublemaker.
Video Feeding the Funnel Spider
Conclusion The spider is timid and never attacks people. However, he can still bite if you accidentally crush him. However, the poison is not at all dangerous to humans and does not cause any visible consequences. The house spider is useful because it exterminates various insects that are harmful to people right in the apartment: flies, mosquitoes and various moths. Some people are disgusted by the sight of spiders or afraid of them. This is often due to the fact that we know very little about these eight-legged animals. While researching the life of spiders, I learned a lot of interesting things, and came to the main conclusion: The spider is a friend to man!