How Old Can Spiders Get?
WouterMost spiders have a life expectancy of about one year. Some species can live for up to two years. Larger species can live longer. The lifespan of a spider is also affected by its environment. A spider living in a desert can have a shorter lifespan than a spider that lives in the tropics.
Females tend to have a longer lifespan than males. They are responsible for laying eggs and taking care of their young. If the female dies, her eggs may not be fertilized.
During the first few months of its life, a spider will eat a lot of insects. In the adult stage, they may eat less than they did as juveniles. However, they still eat hundreds of small insects each day. Depending on how much they eat, the average spider will live between one and two years.
Spiders can be found throughout the world. Species range from common house spiders to wolf spiders. Several species of spiders are adapted to live in the tropics.
One of the oldest spiders ever recorded was a trapdoor tarantula named Number 16. This spider lived in Western Australia for 43 years. It was discovered during a spider study.
This spider was killed by a parasitic wasp. Number 16 was a well-studied spider. Researchers studied her from 1974 until 2016. Although she was not the world’s longest-living spider, she was the longest-living spider on record.
Female tarantulas can live for up to 40 years. Similarly, some wolf spiders can live for up to twenty years.
