Fun Trivia » Animals » Invertebrates » Arachnids

Some spiders have no eyes and some as many as 12 eyes. Difficulty: Hard.

 

eight, four, six

Funnel-webs live along the eastern coastal fringe of Australia from Queensland to Victoria, over to a portion of South Australia and also Tasmania.

Difficulty: Hard.

 

Tasmania only, Western Australia and South Australia, In New South Wales only, centred around Sydney

Seven different types of these glands have been identified, although individual spiders usually only possess a few of each. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Behind the eyes, Lower back, Under the tongue

They are often found in tall grass or shrubs. Be sure to check yourself and your dog for ticks after a ramble through the woods. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

In the desert, On the beach, A well-kept golf course in an urban area

Sorry for this truly awful question! I felt that we needed to get the horrible Latin stuff out the way first so that we could concentrate on the really meaty stuff afterwards!

All huntsman spiders belong to the Sparassidae family. The Sparassidae family used to be known as the Heteropodidae family. As of 2003, there were 13 genera, and 94 known species of huntsman spiders. Difficulty: Hard.

 

The Palpimanidae family, The Trechaleidae family, The Archaeidae family

They are in the class Arachnidae, but because they are not in the order Araneae, they are not true spiders. Officially, they are called solifugids or solpugids. They are also known as sun spiders, wind spiders and wind scorpions (and, no, they're not scorpions either). Difficulty: Hard.

 

Diptera, Lepidoptera, Araneae

Fast and aggressive, the long-legged BRAZILIAN WANDERING (Phoneutria nigriventer) was responsible for over 7000 human attacks over a ten-year period from 1970-80. Because of the existence of an antivenom, deaths are very rare. A medium-to-large critter, it is affectionately (!?) referred to as the "banana spider" because of its preference for crawling among banana clusters.

The ENVIA GARCIAI is a small, yellowish spider found in Brazil, South America.

The CARRAI CAVE (Progradungula carraiensis) is a small long-legged spider found only in the forests and caves of the Carrai Plateau, New South Wales.

The YELLOW SAC (Cheiracanthium inclusum or mildei) is a small house spider often found in homes throughout the American continent. Possessing a mild toxin, it is commonly believed to be responsible for the majority of nuisance bites to humans.

In April, 2005 in the U.K., B.B.C. News reported that chef Matthew Stevens was bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider, hidden in a box of bananas delivered to the Quantock Gateway pub in Bridgwater, Somerset. Stevens took a picture of the spider and showed it to hospital doctors, who were able to administer an antivenom. He recovered in one week. (The spider was accidentally released later!)

Recent research by Brazilian and U.S. scientists has revealed that some South American men, bitten by the wandering spider, experienced symptoms similar to the effects of viagra. Apparently after been bitten, the men experienced painful, lasting erections. The scientists suspect that the toxin "Tx2-6", found in the spider's venom, is responsible. This side effect has enabled South American medical staff to "visually" determine whether the victim came into contact with a Brazilian wandering. Any man wishing to test the veracity of this theory is welcome to sleep in a banana field overnight... Difficulty: Hard.

 

Envia garciai, Yellow sac, Carrai cave

The palps are two leg-like protusions from the front of the tarantula. They are used to manipulate prey, so that the tarantula can eat it and not be injured. Difficulty: Hard.

 

1, 0, 4

Unlike other arthropods, such as insects, crabs, and millipedes, spiders have no antennae. Difficulty: Hard.

 

one, two, three

This is thought to represent only about one-fourth of all spiders. Difficulty: Hard.

 

57,000, 115,000, 75,000

Creatures similar in appearance to modern spiders first began appearing on the Earth some 386 million years ago during the Devonian period but, although they had silk producing spigots, they hadn't developed spinnerets yet. These only began appearing 318-299 millions year ago, leading scientists to class them as "true" spiders.

Some 99 million years later, in what is known as the Earth's Triassic period, "modern" spiders were well and truly established. The major groups of these were Mygalomorphae (funnel-webs, mouse spiders and tarantulas, for example) and Araneomorhae (crab spiders, jumping spiders, wolf spiders and huntsman spiders, for example). Difficulty: Hard.

 

Jurassic, Paleozoic, Cretaceous

It's true, spiders have eight legs! Spiders can still survive when one or more legs are missing. This comes in very helpful when another creature grabs onto one of the legs. Difficulty: Easy.

 

6, 4, it varies

There over 30 species of funnel-webs. Some of them live in hollows in the ground lined with their web, hence the name. They lay strands of silk radiating from their lair which alert them to the presence of prey. There are funnel-webs that live in ferns, tree stumps and up in trees, sometimes as high as 30m (100 feet) off the ground.

The funnel-webs we mostly fear are ground dwellers who come out when looking to mate or when their homes are flooded in heavy rains. Its name is the Sydney funnel-web spider and is essentially only found in Sydney and its outskirts. We Sydney-siders are on the lookout for them between September and April when they are the most active. If you live in a funnel-web area it's a good habit to check your shoes before putting them on and shake out your clothes (if they not been hung up) before dressing, especially in the warmer months. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Only in the ground, Only in trees, In bodies of water such as swimming pools and toilet bowls

The male spider is usually marked with yellow and red bands and spots on his back, the same as immature stages of the spider. Males are about half the size of the female with smaller bodies and longer legs. Newly hatched spiderlings are mostly white and acquire black and varying amounts of reds as they molt. Difficulty: Hard.

 

the same as the female, but male spiders are much smaller in overall size, red crosswise bars on the abdomen, they have no markings at all

Hard ticks (Ixodidae) have a shield called a scutum. It covers the entire body in the male but is smaller in the female. Soft ticks (Argasidae) don't have this shield. Most of the ticks that bite humans are hard ticks. Some soft ticks also attack humans and can transmit disease. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Flying and flightless, Small and large, Winter and summer

The habitat range of the SYDNEY FUNNEL WEB (Atrax robustus) is about 150 kilometres from the centre of Sydney, Australia, hence the name. It is an above-average sized spider with a dark-brown or black colouration. To bite its victim, the funnel web spider arches back then lunges forward in a downward motion, penetrating its victim's flesh and releasing toxin. Until 1980, when an antivenom was produced, there were 13 reported deaths from the bites of funnel web spiders.
Very young children are the most vulnerable. If left untreated, the venom of a funnel web spider bite can kill a youngster in less than half-an-hour. Symptoms include nausea, muscle spasms, numbness, vomiting, difficult breathing, and heart rate increase.

The TASMANIAN CAVE (Hickmania troglodytes) is a medium-sized spider commonly found in cave entrances and drainage systems throughout Tasmania.

The MULLAMULLANG CAVE (Tartarus mullamullangensis) is a large, blind, creamy-white spider found in the cave systems of Western Australia. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Mullamullang cave, Australian red-back, Tasmanian cave

The two segments are the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Insects have three body segments. Difficulty: Hard.

 

1, 3, 4

This spider is the Paut marplesi from Western Samoa. In 1965 a male specimen was found whose overall length was 0.43 mm or 0.017 inches, which is approximately the size of the full stop (period) at the end of this sentence. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Indonesia, France, South Africa

Red Widows (L. bishopi) are found in the scrub-pine and palmettos in southern and central Florida. Difficulty: Hard.

 

from northern Florida to southern Canada, Central America, all over southeastern United States

Tarantulas, particularly the 'New World' or American variety, possess irritating or 'urticating' hair with barbs that can be ejected at an enemy when threatened (a bald spot on the abdomen or tail indicates a nasty temperament). The 'Old World' or European species compensate their lack of hair with aggressive posturing and displays of force. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Warmth, Attracting mates, Marking territory

The appearance of a funnel-web is fairly unmistakable once you've seen one. They are a very deep, shiny black or dark brown colour. The spinnerets are very prominent at the rear of the abdomen. We do have large spiders here in Australia but the funnel-web doesn't stretch to 20cm across. The male Sydney funnel-web spider has a body about 25mm (one inch) long and the female is a little larger. Other species may be slightly bigger or smaller.

In Australia there is a black spider with a red stripe on its abdomen. In our traditional Australian way of calling things as we see them, we call it the redback spider.

Occasionally a light brown huntsman spider will find a home on the ceiling of my house. They can be up to 20 cm across or even larger but they won't hurt you if you don't hurt them. I let it live on my ceiling until it moves back outside. This may take a week or more. They eat insects and other spiders so I consider it natural pest control. There is no way on Earth I'd let a funnel-web live in my house! Difficulty: Average.

 

The adults are 20cm/8 inches across (including legs) with a light brown colouring, Black with a red stripe on the abdomen, Purple with a yellow stripe on the abdomen

As the substance on the web strands looses its stickiness after a short time, and therefore its ability to capture and hold prey, webs have to be constantly re-made by the spider. Because the strands are made of protein, they are therefore recycled by the little creatures. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Glue the strands together with calcium, Anchor them to different levels, Reinforce the edges

The female widow has very strong silk and weaves her webs in irregular,large cobwebs which are rough and sticky. She is very solitary and shy. Webs are constructed in quiet, dark places and she will hide within the web. Only if disturbed will she move and possibly bite. Difficulty: Hard.

 

large irregular web, fine silk, precisely patterned web, strong silk, precisely patterned web, fine silk

Oviparous animals are animals that can lay eggs. Most spiders and insects are oviparous. Difficulty: Hard.

 

It is infertile, There are twice as many legs as any other spider, The spider has both male and female organs

The hypostome is a barbed rod that the tick pushes into its host. It serves both as an anchor and a feeding tube. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Gastrostome, Hydrastome, Myriastome

The crablike legs of a huntsman spider enable them to run both forwards and sideways, whereas most spiders have to turn, and then run. This is useful for them, as it means that they can quickly scuttle to safety in any direction.

It's also the appearance of their legs that makes huntsman spiders quickly recognizable - although many people still mistake them for tarantulas. Difficulty: Hard.

 

It means that they can jump to great heights, sometimes even up to 4 metres, It means that they are able to swim quickly and efficiently, It means that they are able to run at speeds of up to 30 mph

Since these creatures are nocturnal, they do most of their living at night (that's what 'solifugae' means in Latin...'those who hide from the sun'). When troop movements jostled them out of their homes, their first priority was to get to the coolest place they can. With the desert sun the way it is, that place was often the shadow of the nearest human. Difficulty: Hard.

 

To attack, To defend their burrows, They smelled food

The bite of a BLACK WIDOW (Latrodectus mactans) can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and hypertension. An antivenom for the black widow bite was developed in 1956. Black widow spiders are often found in garages, woodpiles, and other outdoor (cluttered) locations. Commonly found throughout North America and Canada, it is a close relative of the Australian redback spider.

The BLACK WISHBONE (Aname atra) is a large, black, burrow spider found in South Australia. Possessing dangerous fangs, this species becomes aggressive when provoked.

The BLACK RUGOSE trapdoor (Idiosoma nigrum) is a medium-sized, burrowing spider found in Southwestern Australia.

The BLACK-FOOTED is also known as the yellow sac spider (question no.1). Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Black-footed, Black wishbone, Black rugose trapdoor

These hairs are actually like little shards of glass, and that's why they are so irritating. If they get in your eyes, nose, or throat, they can cause serious medical issues. They are actually ground up and made into itching powder. The best way to remove them is by using tape and gently pressing it to the affected area. Some tarantulas can kick these hairs into air, but some aren't as likely to do it. This goes for other tarantulas too, in that some flick hairs at the slightest flicker of movement. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Irritating hairs, Hairs, Defensive hairs

While the Hadrurus sp. of scorpion is the largest found in North America (3.5 to 4 inches), they don't come close to the size of species found in other parts of the world! Difficulty: Hard.

 

most elusive, fastest, most dangerous

The chelicerae are two-part organs. There is a basal segment that typically contains the venom and there is the second (fang) segment. Difficulty: Hard.

 

pedipalp, pedicel, coxa

Widows are the most famous cobweb weavers. Difficulty: Hard.

 

orb-web, funnelweb, no web

Aptly named, Pirate Spiders (Mimetidae) invade another spider's web, bite the spider, and suck it dry. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rafting Spiders, Widows, Nursery Web Spiders

 

175 to 200, 25 to 50, 60 to 100

Really, this is astonishing. The female Argyroneta aquatica spiders build underwater webs that they fill with air, in a shape resembling diving bells a little. And there they spend almost all their lives, only surfacing periodically to replenish their supply of oxygen. They mate in these underwater webs, rear their children, and capture and eat their prey underwater.

Most web spinning spiders have poor vision, and catch and kill their their prey when they sense their struggles if ensnared on a web, and this little web-spinner is the most fascinating of all. Difficulty: Easy.

 

In the human ear, Inside mango fruits, On top of Mount Everest

These venomous spiders are identified by the pattern of red coloration on the underside of their abdomen, that is similar to an hourglass shape. Creatures, like birds, that prey on spiders will usually heed the warning that this is a toxic spider. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Red hourglass on the backside, Red eyes, Red legs

Funnel-webs aren't figure conscious. They love eating beetles, small lizards, insects, small frogs and the like. They are carnivores and you won't see them munching on a lettuce leaf.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

Omnivorous, Herbivorous, Scarsdale diet

The most amazing of these methods is the one used by spiders that weave small webs on their feet, and then leap onto prey and wrap the web around their catch before paralysing and killing it. Astonishing. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Running prey down in an open chase, Weaving small webs on their feet, Pouncing from concealment

Sacs are laid in the summer. After hatching and with several moltings, the spiderlings mature through the summer and fall. By winter they are considered subadults. They become sexually mature in the spring and mate in the very late spring. Difficulty: Hard.

 

spring, winter, fall (autumn)

Arachne was a weaver that gloated of how much better a weaver she was than Athena, the goddess of crafts. Arachne beat Athena at a weaving contest and Athena turned Arachne into a spider as punishment. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Roman mythology, Egyptian mythology, Hindu mythology