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Arachnophobia – A Little Bit More

A survey conducted in Sweden indicated that about 3.5% of that population had a phobia of spiders.  Despite the fact that people believe many “bites” they receive are due to spiders, the facts don’t bear this out.  Both the North American Black Widow and Brown Recluse do have bites that are considered dangerous but these are not common.  Too often someone receiving a bite from an unknown source just assumes it’s from a spider.  Scientists tell us that you’re much more likely to have been bitten by a flea, bedbug, kissing bug, louse, or an assortment of different kinds of flies – not a spider.
Spiders are incredibly numerous around the globe and their reduction of insect populations is of special importance to humans.  Spiders kill and eat vast numbers of insects that would or could otherwise cause problems for people.  Spiders are especially good at transporting themselves to unusual places and are often the first inhabitants on newly formed islands.  The ability of many different kinds of spiders to balloon allows them to drift on the wind and settle in new, far away places.  Ballooning is an activity that many young spiders do to move from their place of hatching.  Young spiders can simply release a long thread of silk on an appropriate windy day, allow the wind to pick them up and “balloon” them to a new location.  You may even have noticed tiny, silk threads floating in the air at some time without realizing that a tiny spider was on one of the ends.

Arachnophobia – See For Yourself

Activity: Science – Capture That Web
Objective: Opportunity to get a good, close look at a web
Materials: Spray paint, white cardboard, spider web

Although we’ve already discussed the fact that not all spiders spin webs, most of us do associate spiders with webs.  So…let’s take a look at webs and see if we can preserve one for closer inspection and just plain fun.

Granted, this is most likely a warm weather activity for most of North America, but not all.  

1. Have your students look for a spider web.  Since many spiders spin a new web each day/night you’ll probably find the best example while a spider is still using the web.  (HINT- your students may find a web before they have the supplies to capture it.  If they return to the site of the web a day later, it’s likely that the spider will have moved a wee bit and the web will not be in the same location.  Instruct the students to look around the area carefully if they don’t immediately see the web on their return.)

2. Gently have the students shoo the spider away from its web. They may be able to gently blow on it or even use a stick to encourage it to leave.  Don’t worry about the spider - making a new web is a snap for these animals!

3. Students can use an approximately 8 X 10 piece of white cardboard or poster board to capture the web.  A white sheet of computer paper can be taped to cardboard if you wish.

4. Using a can of colored (not white) spray paint, spray the web.  Be sure to cover it all but not so forcefully as to damage it.

5. While the sprayed web is still wet, bring the paper backing up to the BACK of the web.  If the paper backing is parallel with the web, once you make contact, you’ll avoid distorting the web structure as it adheres to the paper.

6. Allow the adhering web to dry completely and you now have a permanent record of a spider’s web to study and enjoy.

National Science Standards Addressed:
Standard C-
1.Structure and Function in Living Systems
2. Reproduction
3. Behavior
4. Populations
5. Adaptations of organisms

Key Terms Addressed:
Cephalothorax
Thorax
Pedipalps

Poster text only - see above for complete posters

Next to snakes, spiders are probably the most feared group of animals in the world.  Although unwarranted, since only two species are dangerous in the U.S. and Canada, fear of spiders is widespread.Arachnophobia (“arachnida” is the biological class of spiders and “phobia” is an illogical fear) is an abnormal fear of spiders.  Spiders are easy to identify and so widespread in house, garden, and field, that everyone can identify them.  Every school kid knows that spiders have 8 legs and insects have only 6.Spiders have 8 distinct legs, combined head and thorax called a cephalothorax, and an abdomen.  They also have pedipalps on either side of their fangs – males usually have larger ones.It’s too bad that spiders are so feared since they provide enormous benefits by feeding on huge numbers of insects.  Without spiders, humans would have many, many more insects to contend with each summer.  Deaths from wasps and bees greatly outnumber those from spiders.  In fact, often a year goes by with no fatalities.Spider Bite Myth:  Almost any kind of unknown “sore” gets attributed to spider bites.  In fact, this is rarely the case;  most bites are caused by fleas, bedbugs, kissing bugs, lice, or various flies plus an occasional  mite or tick.Spiders come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and behaviors but all but one are carnivores.Some of the more common and well-known kinds of spiders include the:Orb Weavers Members of this large family create “typical” spider webs and replace their web daily.  They spin a new web each evening and remove it each morning.  Their circular web strands are sticky, the radiating ones not.Funnel Web Weavers spin sheet webs of nonsticky silk with a funnel where the spider hides off to one side. When its prey falls onto the sheet web, the spider runs out, bites, and drags it back into the funnel to feed. Sheet webs are almost invisible among the grasses but are especially visible when covered with dew on a cool morning.Wolf spiders. spin no webs at all and are ground hunters, running down their prey. Females spin a large spherical egg sac, attaches it to their spinnerets and carry it around until the eggs hatch. The babies stay on her back until they’re able to live by themselves. Jumping spiders  do not build webs for catching prey.  They have the best eyesight of all spiders and hunt down and leap on their prey.  They always attach a silk thread as a lifeline when hunting so they can regain their perch.   Crab spiders wait immobile on plants using camouflage to avoid detection from unsuspecting prey. The color of the spider often exactly matches what they’re perched on. Their front two legs, often larger and stronger than the other six, are held outstretched, ready to catch prey.