How Do Spiders Feed Their Young?
WouterSpiders are opportunistic feeders. They eat anything in their environment. They can survive up to 30 days without food. They eat centipedes, flies, spiders, and more. They also eat eggs. Some species lay special eggs for their young. They may even regurgitate their food for the young.
The way spiders feed their young is very different than the way animals feed their young. Some species feed their young by capturing insects and feeding them, while others feed their young by regurgitating their own food. There are also some species that feed their young by regurgitating their eggs.
Some species of spiders are opportunistic feeders, consuming everything in their environment. They lay hundreds of eggs. Most of them are fertilized before the baby spiders emerge. They then nurse their young against their bodies. In some cases, the mother also puts sticks in the egg sac.
Some spiders lay eggs that are unfertilized. In these cases, the spider mother cares for the young and lets them return to her nest when they become adults. This type of maternal care has only been observed in long-lived social vertebrates.
Some species of spiders do not care for their young. Those spiders that do are known as helicopter parents. They are opportunistic feeders and can sometimes attack other animals, such as ants. They also can be suicidal.
One type of suicidal maternal care is called matriphagy. It was first described by German arachnologist Ernst Kullmann in the early 20th century. It occurs after the mother eats nutritional eggs.
