Do Spiders Lay Eggs in Your Hair?
WouterSpiders don’t live in human hair. It’s a myth. They are free-living hunters. If they were to invade your body, they would become parasites. So, do they lay eggs in your hair?
To understand what spiders do with their hair, it’s important to understand what they use it for. Arachnids (a group of animals that includes spiders) have a number of special hairs that enable them to sense their environment.
In addition to their sense of touch, arachnids can also sense air and sound. This can help the arachnid to detect the arrival of prey.
The most obvious sensory system is the cuticular hairs. These hairs are attached to the limbs of the spider and are responsible for allowing the arachnid to “stick” to smooth objects.
Another type of spider hair is called the tactile hair. These hairs have a tubular body, which indicates that they are mechanoreceptive. Like the cuticular hairs, these hairs are associated with the limbs of the spider. However, the sensory cells that are supplied by these hairs are located very close to the inner lever arm.
Spiders’ tactile hairs are classified according to the number of sensory cells. For example, only one sensory cell is responsible for the short and stout hairs of coxal hair plates.
Interestingly, Cupiennius salei, a Central American wandering spider, has surprisingly well-designed tactile hairs. Their cuticular hairs are steeply angled and have a slightly S-shaped hair shaft.
Unlike the hair of other arachnids, the hairs of Cupiennius are innervated. This is because the hairs contain mechanosensitive cells. These cells respond to the deflection of the hair shaft.
