How Do Spiders Feed Their Young?
WouterDepending on the species, baby spiders can be self-sustaining or require their mother’s care. The length of time a young spider spends in their nest will vary. Some species hang around for a few days while others leave the nest right away.
Most juveniles are cared for by their mothers until they are sexually mature. However, some arachnids never feed their offspring.
During the first few days, newly hatched spiderlings sip from droplets of fluid from the mother’s epigastric furrow. This white goo is a nutrient-rich source of nutrition. It provides a crucial boost for babies until they are able to eat on their own.
Some spiders will also eat their eggs. Some are cared for by their mothers, but others are eaten by larger adults. They will often eat flies, centipedes, and other insects. The webs of these spiders are designed to catch smaller bugs.
Scientists recently discovered that a southeast Asian jumping spider is the only arachnid known to “milk” its young. Researchers discovered that the females of this arachnid produced milk for the offspring, and this continued until they were teenagers.
The research team observed newborn spiders in a laboratory. They painted over the birth canals and the milk supply of the mothers. They found that the spiders’ survival rate was 76 percent. When the females reached 20 days of age, they stopped nursing and the young began to forage for food.
The researchers were unable to determine whether the mother’s milk was made from her own eggs. Some scientists suggest that milk may have evolved from unfertilised eggs, which are used by some invertebrates to feed their offspring.
