HowStuffWorks Newsletter
Arachnids have four pairs of jointed legs, two body sections and simple eyes. Arachnids are aggressive predators and include spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks.
Native to East Asia, the Joro spider has adapted to life in the southern U.S. and, as far as we know, is a beneficial addition to the ecosystem.
Spiders don't have wings, so technically can't fly. But some arachnids can soar through the air with the greatest of ease.
By Mark Mancini
Black widow spider venom can be deadly but how likely are you to be bitten? It might surprise you that these arachnids are on the shy side.
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That's right – daddy longlegs isn't an actual kind of spider, but a colloquial name that's been applied to a wide range of spiders and non-spiders, insects and non-insects.
By Mark Mancini
Tarantulas are the largest spiders in the world and, believe it or not, some can live for up to 30 years.
Not all spiders spin webs, but the eight-legged arachnids that do, spin all kinds of different webs, some big, some small.
By Mark Mancini
Ninety percent of brown recluse bites don't have any effect at all — but the mythology around these creatures and their bites is legendary.
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Is the "banana spider" you're looking at the one that sits around harmlessly catching flies, or could its bite kill a small child? If we rely solely on common names, this question is complicated.
These arachnids are aggressive, unbelievably fast and love to murder ants for no reason, but don't worry — they're harmless.
If you think the answer is 1,000, you're way way off.
Wolf spiders might find their way into your house and can look threatening, but they're really harmless.
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There are lots of theories. Maybe fluorescence helps them find each other in the dark?
A Columbia University scientist stumbled upon the first of seven new spiders while hunting for local frogs.
By Mark Mancini
The Asian longhorned tick has shown up in six states so far, and nobody knows how it got here.
By Mark Mancini
The pelican spider would just as soon eat another spider as look at one.
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Male brown widow spiders stubbornly court the oldest females they can find, though younger females are more fertile and far less dangerous.
Spider silk adds another notch to its belt of amazing properties.
Spiders not only eat more meat than humans every year, they also spend a lot of time getting eaten themselves.
Sharing's generally regarded as a desirable behavior among humans. But for some social spiders, it can be the death of them.
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Researchers had to use special high-speed cameras recording at up to 40,000 fps to even witness the 'lightning speed' chelicerae jaw structures snapping shut.
An oar-shaped protrusion of microscopic hairs on the legs of a grain-sized spider is bringing sexy back to the arachnid kingdom.
Publicity ploy or not, many surprising folks have insects named after them.
By Alia Hoyt
We think we know all about spiders — they spin webs to trap prey; if they bite you, you might die. And if you find one in your house, you should set it free. But what if all these beliefs are a web of lies?
By Chris Opfer
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Worried about creepy crawlies entering your mouth while you sleep? Relax -- spiders have no interest in being eaten.
By Bambi Turner
Spiders have been on Earth a whole lot longer than we have — 380 million years, to be precise — and number more than 38,000 separate species worldwide. See 10 of the most beautiful and scary of these arachnids.