Spiders

Learn more about these fascinating arthropods as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about spiders.

Related Topics: Insects, Parasites

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Alien Snakes Help Spiders Overrun Guam

By Live Science Staff

Snakes eat birds, which eat spiders. No birds, more spiders.

A goblin spider claw as seen under a scanning electron microscope.

Beware, Arachnophobes: Half of Spiders Are Undiscovered

By Wynne Parry

What we do know about spiders and other arachnids: They are very diverse.

<p>For many of us, spiders inspire terror, or a stomp of a foot. But if they weren’t around, we would miss these eight-legged creatures, which share every continent except Antarctica with us. According to one estimate, spiders on one acre of woodland alon

Creepy, Crawly & Incredible: Photos of Spiders

By Live Science Staff

More than 43,000 spider species are known and at least that many remain undiscovered, they say. Catch a glimpse of their incredible diversity.

Black Widow Spiders May Have Met Their Match

By Live Science Staff

The brown widow spider is encroaching on black widow territory, a new study suggests.

<i>Nephilengys malabarensis</i> male and female

Male Spider Ditches Penis, Gains Fighting Power

By Jennifer Welsh

After ditching their genitals, male spiders get an extra dose of endurance due to their decreased body weight.

Fernando Pérez-Miles, of the University of the Republic in Uruguay, and his team tested out tarantulas' superhero abilities on vertical glass slides.

Do Tarantulas Shoot Spidey Silk? Scientists Debate

By Joseph Castro

A new study may take away one tarantula's superhero powers.

'Getting Naked' Helps Water Fleas Ditch Pesky Parasites

By Stephanie Pappas

Shedding skin can defend against parasites.

Amazing Video: Spider Silk Golden Cape

By Nina Sen

The thread, which has not been dyed, is the silk from the golden orb spider.

Jumping Spiders' Unique Vision Revealed

By Joseph Castro

Jumping spiders gauge distances by compared a focused image with a defocused image.

New Worms' Silk Has Spider Strength

By Francie Diep

spiders, ants, orb-web spider, pharoh ant, ant deterrent, 2-pyrrolidione, predator protection, spider silk, anti-ant chemical, spider ant defenses,

Ants Beware! Spider Protected by Burglar-Proof Web

By Jennifer Welsh

Orb web spiders deposit anti-ant compounds to ward off thieves

animals, insects, spiders, mating gifts, mating rituals, courtship dance, nursery web spider, paying for sex, gifts in exchange for sex, worthless gifts, nuptial gifts,

8-Legged Sex Trick? Spiders Give Worthless Gifts, Play Dead

By Jennifer Welsh

Like paying a prostitute with counterfeit bills, male nursery web spiders sometimes pay with worthless gifts that distract the female while they mate.

13 Halloween Superstitions & Traditions Explained

By Remy Melina

Do you know why it's bad luck for a black cat to cross your path? Read on.

Today's GoFIgure looks at phobias, defined as irrational fears of things which are not likely to be dangerous.

What Scares You? (Infographic)

By Ross Toro

Today's GoFigure looks at the fears, anxieties and phobias that affect millions of people.

3-D images reveal ancient daddy longlegs

Ancient Daddy Longlegs Come to Life in 3-D Images

By Jennifer Welsh

Two ancient types of harvestmen, or daddy longlegs, which skittered around forests more than 300 million years ago, are revealed in new three-dimensional virtual fossil models.