Arachnids

While they may incite fear due to their impressive dimensions, these spiders play crucial roles in their ecosystems and have become subjects of significant scientific interest and study.

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Allison Troutner

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.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

These arachnids are aggressive, unbelievably fast and love to murder ants for no reason, but don't worry — they're harmless.

By Jesslyn Shields

If you think the answer is 1,000, you're way way off.

By Danielle Douez

Wolf spiders might find their way into your house and can look threatening, but they're really harmless.

By Jesslyn Shields

There are lots of theories. Maybe fluorescence helps them find each other in the dark?

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Male brown widow spiders stubbornly court the oldest females they can find, though younger females are more fertile and far less dangerous.

By Jesslyn Shields

Spiders not only eat more meat than humans every year, they also spend a lot of time getting eaten themselves.

By Jesslyn Shields

Sharing's generally regarded as a desirable behavior among humans. But for some social spiders, it can be the death of them.

By Lauren Vogelbaum

An oar-shaped protrusion of microscopic hairs on the legs of a grain-sized spider is bringing sexy back to the arachnid kingdom.

By Laurie L. Dove

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

Worried about creepy-crawlies entering your mouth while you sleep? Relax, spiders have no interest in being eaten. In fact, there's no record of anyone swallowing a spider while sleeping.

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.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Arachnids include spiders, mites, ticks, harvestmen, chiggers and scorpions. Learn more by viewing these arachnid pictures.

By Marie Bobel

Spider silk is five times stronger than steel and twice as strong as bullet-proof Kevlar. What exactly is spider silk, what is it made of and why is it so strong? Find out the answers to these questions and learn other facts about spider silk.