How Do Spiders Work in Pairs?

Spiders hunt in pairs. They are able to take down prey that’s nearly 700 times heavier than an individual arachnid. They can also attack multiple times at once. In the case of Anelosimus eximius, a species that lives in large communal webs, each spider works with the others to create the web.

They can sense vibrations from the prey they are attacking. These vibrations are used by social spiders to coordinate attacks. In turn, this allows them to better sense a trapped insect.

As a result, they are able to catch larger insects. Some colonies can even take down birds and bats. These larger colonies can be very effective. However, they can also die off. Hence, it is essential that a colony has sufficient food.

Social spiders live in tropical environments. They have a different set of traits from most cooperative breeding taxa. They do not have a caste system. Some females contribute to foraging and brood care, while others remain helpers.

Most social spiders have multiple developmental stages. For instance, some females will regurgitate food for the colony’s offspring. They may also help out in the defense of the web or feed the young.

Most colonies have a common hunting method. Some have a red-light-green-light approach, while others have a nighttime hunt. The bigger the colony, the more food they can capture.

The social behaviour of spiders has been shown to work well until they have insufficient food. They can’t survive without a large prey population.