What Is a Group of Spiders Called? (Aside From Icky)

A group of spiders is most often called a cluster. Interestingly, spiders usually come together temporarily rather than forming long-term social units.

Clusters appear when spider eggs hatch and hundreds of tiny spiders emerge at once. They can also form when food is plentiful, shelter is limited, or environmental conditions push spiders into the same space.

Once conditions change, the cluster breaks apart. Most spiders quickly spread out to avoid competition, conflict, and cannibalism.

Some spider species are truly social, and these groups are called colonies. Social spiders live, hunt and feed together. They build shared webs, cooperate during feeding, and help protect eggs and young. In these cases, a large group can survive better than a single spider.

This behavior is rare. Most spiders do not tolerate long-term contact with other members of their species.

Spiders are predators that rely on ambush, speed, and venom. Hunting alone reduces competition for prey such as insects, ants, and other small animals.

Group living also raises risks. Many spiders will eat other spiders, including members of their own species. This is especially common during mating, when female spiders may consume their male partners (a behavior known as sexual cannibalism).

Living alone protects spiders from becoming food while they sleep, feed, or molt.

Spiders belong to the class Arachnida and the order Araneae. Animals called arachnids share basic characteristics that separate them from insects.

A spider’s body is divided into two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Spiders have eight legs arranged in four pairs, produce silk and often use venom to subdue prey.

These traits place spiders firmly among arachnids, a group that also includes scorpions, mites, and ticks.

Most arachnids live solitary lives. Scorpions, mites, ticks, harvestmen, and whip scorpions rarely form lasting groups.

Arachnids differ from insects, which have six legs and three main body sections. They also differ from centipedes and crustaceans, which belong to other arthropod groups.

Behavior matters as much as anatomy when it comes to group living.

Different spider species behave in different ways. For instance, jumping spiders rely on keen vision and active hunting instead of webs.

Funnel web spiders, on the other hand, build structured traps that guide prey directly to the spider. These spiders may live near one another but still hunt alone.

Social spiders stand out because they cooperate. Their shared webs can stretch across trees or shrubs and support hundreds or thousands of members in the same habitat.

The family Lycosidae includes spiders often called wolf spiders. These spiders hunt on land and do not rely on webs to capture food.

Wolf spider mothers carry their eggs and young on their bodies. When the young disperse, they may briefly form a collection that looks like a family group.

This stage does not last long. The spiders soon separate and begin solitary lives.

Groups of spiders appear most often where food is abundant and shelter is limited.

You may see clusters near water, around lakes, in wetlands, or inside human structures. Some species thrive near marine environments, while others adapt easily to cities and homes.

Spiders feed on insects and other small animals, helping control pest populations. In turn, spiders become food for birds, frogs, crows and other predators.

Even when spiders form clusters or colonies, their role in nature stays the same.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.