Can Spiders See Humans?
WouterThe jumping spider’s view is unlike the human perspective. It’s more like a poorly focused black and white movie on a 3-D IMAX screen. However, the wolf spider’s and tarantula’s view is much clearer.
Jumping spiders have four medium eyes on top of their heads. These can detect ultraviolet light. They also have cones in their eyes that can perceive blue, green, and red colors. This helps the spider distinguish different species.
The side-of-head eyes help the spiders sense motion. In turn, this allows the spiders to track prey and avoid predators.
While it’s true that most spiders can’t see humans, some have excellent vision. For example, flower spiders can see in the daylight. Another species, the zebra back spider, has good night vision.
Some arachnologists believe that spiders only have a sense of sight. But new research shows that these creatures have enhanced sensing abilities.
One of the latest studies on the subject was carried out by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh. Using the jumping spider’s brain as a model, they recorded the electrical signals that the spiders respond to.
According to the researchers, the spiders were able to form a mental “representation” of the scene from the tower. They used this information to plan their route.
Another study by Massimo de Agro, a former researcher at Harvard University, has revealed the structure of spider eyes. Originally, scientists believed that these eyes were motion detectors. After performing experiments in the lab, however, de Agro discovered that they were more efficient at detecting and discriminating color and shape.
