How Small Are Spiders?
WouterThere are many spider species that are very small. In fact, they are not dangerous to humans. Mostly they prey on other spiders and insects. However, a few species are able to prey on birds.
There are a number of family and subfamily groups within the spider family. These groups all have similar characteristics. Some of these families are more widely distributed than others. Some families are found in the tropics. Other families are found in the temperate regions of the world. Several families are restricted to specific countries.
The Mecysmaucheniidae are a very small family of spiders. They are secretive and can catch prey at high speeds. They have a ballistic attack strategy that evolved four times.
The females are much larger than the males. This is called sexual size dimorphism. It is believed that extreme size dimorphism is the result of selection processes favoring fecundity in the females.
The male black widow spider is about half the size of the female. The female has a comb foot, a black line on top of its cephalothorax, and an hourglass-shaped marking on its back.
These spiders are also known as wolf spiders. They are very hairy and come in a variety of colors. They are daytime hunters. They have long legs and spines on their legs. The males are grey or black, while the females are brown.
Daddy long-legs are closely related to mites. They are about three eighths of an inch in body length. They have two eyes and an oval-shaped body part. They are found on every continent except Antarctica.
