Do Spiders Help in Pollination?

In a laboratory setting, researchers tested the adage do spiders help in pollination. Using the Australian crab spider Thomisus onustus, they conducted a series of behavioural experiments and a flower colour matching exercise.

The results show that while the presence of spiders is associated with a decreased pollination rate, the actual effect depends on how many spiders are present. They found that the presence of one or more spiders can result in reduced seed biomass by up to 42%.

Although spiders cannot fly, they do build webs in areas with bright lighting. This may be for the same reason that moths prefer to hover over lights.

While it’s unlikely that spiders can actively affect the pollination of plants, some species do live in flowers. It’s not uncommon for crab spiders to hang out in the middle of a blossom. These creatures are thought to help plants by consuming pollinating insects.

There are also spiders that ambush insects visiting flowers. A study published in the Journal of the Entomological Society of America indicates that some species use floral scent signals as a cue to locate and forage on suitable flowers.

Although honeybees were not impressed by the presence of spiders, they did recognise that a spider was there and responded accordingly. The spritely critters avoided landing on flowers occupied by crab spiders.

Moreover, the presence of a spider on a yellow daisy created a colour contrast worthy of note. However, the best colour contrast was actually created by a white spider on a yellow flower.

Continue reading:

Do Spiders Have Emotions? Do Spiders Change Color When They Die? Are Spiders With Six Legs Poisonous? Are Spiders Always 6 Feet Away? Which Spiders Make Funnel Webs? When Spiders Keep Showing Up in Your Life Are Spiders Attracted to Light? Do Spiders Like the Cold?