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Scientific Name of Spider

Last Updated : 27 Jan, 2024
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Scientific name of the spider is Araneae. The spider belongs to the largest order Araneae and ranks seventh in species diversity among all the orders under Class Arachnida. They are characterized by eight legs, silk-producing glands, and fangs for injecting venom into their prey. Spiders are predators, and they use their venom to subdue their prey. They are also known for their ability to spin silk, which they use to build webs and catch their prey.

What is the Scientific Name of a Spider?

The Scientific name of the Spider is Araneae. Spiders are different from insects in having eight limbs instead of six and the body is divided into two parts instead of three. Spiders have chelicerae with fangs that enable them to inject venom into their prey to kill them quickly and spinnerets that help them extrude silk to wrap the prey. Taxonomists have identified more than 49000 spider species in 129 families. Spiders are widely distributed in every continent except Antarctica. Spiders are predators and catch their prey in a variety of ways. They are important members of the ecosystem and help to control populations of insects and other small animals.

Also Read: Phylum Arthropoda

Scientific Name of Common Spider

Scientific names of some commonly found spiders are as follows:

Common Name of Spider

Scientific Name of Spider

Grass Cross Spider

Argiope catenulata

Western Black Widow Spider

Latrodectus hesperus

Mexican Pink Tarantula

Brachypelma klaasi

Brown Recluse spider

Loxosceles reclusa

Hobo spider

Eratigena agrestis

Brazilian wandering spider

Phoneutria fera

Daddy long legs spiders

Pholcus phalangioides

American house spider

Parasteatoda tepidariorum

Wolf spiders

Lycosidae spp

Orb-weaver spiders

Neoscona crucifera

Taxonomic Classification of Spider

The taxonomic classification of spider is stated below :

Type

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Subphylum

Chelicerata

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Sub Order

Mesothelae (Segmented spiders)

Suborder

Opisthothelae (All spiders except segmented spiders)

Different Species of Spiders

The different species of spiders can be categorized into two types: Poisonous and Non-poisonous types.

Poisonous Types of Spider

The poisonous types of Spider are as follows:

  • Western Black Widow Spider: These spiders are highly venomous and found in the Western regions of North America. The females are about ½ inch in length and black. An hourglass-shaped red or yellow and in rare cases, white mark is present on the lower abdomen. The males are almost half the length of females and are generally tan-colored with light strips on the abdomen.
  • Mexican Pink Tarantula: This tarantula is endemic to Mexico and is the rarest species of the genus Brachypelma. This species has black tarsi, orange-yellow metatarsi, tibias and patellas, black femora and coxae, and orange-yellow hairs on the opisthosoma, setae have a uniformly rusty appearance and the carapace is black.
  • Brown Recluse Spider: This highly dangerous species of spider is found in North America. They are usually 0.24 – 0.79 inches in length and the color varies from whitish to dark brown or blackish grey. The cephalothorax and abdomen may have different colors. Violin-like markings are present on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax. Therefore, these spiders are also called fiddleback spiders, brown fiddlers, or violin spiders.
  • Brazilian wandering Spider: This species of spider is widely found on banana plants and therefore, they are also called banana spiders. The venom of this spider affects the central nervous system of prey. They are mainly distributed in northern South America. These spiders have long legs about 5 to 7 inches in length while their body length varies from 17 to 48 mm.

Non-poisonous Types of Spiders

The non-poisonous types of Spiders are as follows:

  • Grass Cross Spider: These colorful spiders are widely distributed from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and are also found in Australia. The females have yellow cephalothorax with black eye margins. The abdomen is oblong-shaped with a black and silvery-white and yellow dorsal pattern. Irregular brown patches are present from the median to the posterior side of the abdomen.
  • Daddy Longlegs Spider: They are distributed widely all over the world except Antarctica. They have a thin and delicate peanut-shaped body approximately about 0.08 – 0.39 inches in length. The legs are long about 1.97 inches.
  • American house Spider: This spider is also called the common house spider and is found near human habitats. Their color varies from tan to nearly black and sometimes patterns of different shades on the body are also visible.
  • Wolf Spiders: This species of spider is a robust and flexible hunter having excellent eyesight. They do not spin webs but live mostly alone and hunt alone. The body size (excluding legs) varies from 0.4 – 1.38 inches. They have three rows of eight eyes and the middle row has two very large eyes.
  • Orb-Weaver Spiders: These spiders are generally found in gardens, fields, and forests. These large brightly coloured garden spiders are three-clawed and build spiral wheel-shaped flat webs with sticky spiral capture silk.

General Features of Spiders

The general features of spiders include their size, distribution i.e. where they are available, and their habitats

Size

The body length of Spiders varies from 0.02–3.5 inches. The largest spiders, hairy mygalomorphs, commonly known as tarantulas, are found in warm climates in the Americas. Some of the largest mygalomorphs are found in parts of the Amazon.

Distribution

Spiders are found everywhere on all the continents (except Antarctica) and even at the heights of 5,000 meters in the Himalayas. They are more abundant in the tropics than in temperate zones. Most of the spiders are terrestrial, one aquatic Eurasian species is known to live in slow-moving freshwater. A few species are found to live on shores or surfaces of fresh or salt water.

Habitat

These creatures are spread in a wide variety of environments ranging from tundra to tropical lowland forests. They are found in various places like forests, lakes, grasslands, deserts, and rainforests. Some live in bushes and trees, on the ground, in the tunnels, and some in human habitats.

Also Read: Classification of Animal Kingdom

Conclusion – Scientific Name of Spider

The scientific name for spiders is Araneae. Spiders are arachnids, a class of arthropods that also includes scorpions, ticks, and mites. Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat.

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FAQs -Scientific Name of Spider

What is the Scientific Name of the House Spider?

The scientific name of the house spider is Parasteatoda tepidariorum. They are adapted to environments profoundly affected by human activities and are widespread throughout the world.

What is the Scientific Name of Spiders?

The scientific name of spiders is Araneae. They belong to the class Arachnida which includes any wingless and carnivorous arthropods.

What is the Scientific Name for Spider legs?

Spiders typically have eight walking legs made up of seven segments. The scientific names of these segments are coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus.

What is the Botanical Name and Family of Spiders?

The Botanical Name of spiders is Araneae. Spiders are classified into two families, Araneomorphae and Mygalomorphae, based on the position of their chelicerae.

What is the Biological Term for a Spider?

The biological term for a spider includes Arachnida. Arachnida is a class of joint-legged arthropods, in the subphylum Chelicerata.



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