Do Mosquitoes Eat Spiders?

Interestingly, there are some spiders which eat mosquitoes. In fact, there are two spider species which are known to be mosquito-specialists.

One of these spiders is the mosquito spider. This small critter is known to be hardwired to hunt mosquitoes. It is said to resemble a miniature cat and feeds on mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes. It is also said to be able to stalk mosquitoes in bamboo forests of Malaysia.

Another spider with a big appetite is the jumping spider. These spiders can jump 10 to 40 times their body length. They prefer to live indoors, but they are also known to hang out on the walls of buildings. In fact, this is one of the reasons why people have spiders in their home.

These spiders can identify their prey by smell alone. They are able to detect whether a mosquito is carrying blood. The spider will then choose as its primary prey the mosquito that is most likely to carry blood. They do this by smelling the blood and determining if it is the female or male.

This spider is known as the Evarcha culicivora. It is an unusual jumping spider that can identify its prey based on a single odor. This spider has a unique set of complex eyes that can provide a spatial resolution of 0.04 degrees.

The spider is able to detect the presence of a female Anopheles mosquito by smelling its blood. It then chooses as its primary prey the female mosquito that is most likely to carry blood. This explains why the vampire spider is able to eat a female mosquito.

Continue reading:

Can White Vinegar Kill Mosquitoes? How Do Mosquitoes Remember You? How to Protect Yourself From Mosquitoes Can Mosquitoes Pass Diseases? What Fabrics Can Mosquitoes Not Bite Through? How Long Do Mosquitoes Live Without Blood? How to Prevent Flystrike From Happening to Your Guinea Pigs Jaundice and Mosquitoes