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Arachnids Trivia Questions and Answers

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Related Questions & Answers:   Invertebrates    Insects   

1. How many eyes do spiders have?


Answer: it varies

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

From Quiz: Arachnids for Dummies!
 
Some incorrect choices:
eight, four, six

2. In what regions of Australia can you find a funnel-web spider?


Answer: East coast from Queensland to Tasmania, including South Australia

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Fearsome Funnel-Web Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Tasmania only, Western Australia and South Australia, In New South Wales only, centred around Sydney

3. Spiders produce thread from the spinneret glands. On which part of a spider's body are these glands located?


Answer: Tip of the abdomen

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

From Quiz: The Amazing Spider Web
 
Some incorrect choices:
Behind the eyes, Lower back, Under the tongue

4. Where is the most common place to find ticks?


Answer: In the woods

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Trouble with Ticks
 
Some incorrect choices:
In the desert, On the beach, A well-kept golf course in an urban area

5. What is the scientific name for the family that the huntsman spider comes from?


Answer: The Sparassidae family

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Huntsman Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Palpimanidae family, The Trechaleidae family, The Archaeidae family

6. The camel spider is a member of what animal order?


Answer: Solifugae

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Inimitable Camel Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
Diptera, Lepidoptera, Araneae

7. What's this crawling in my bunch of bananas? Considered among the most dangerous in the world, this South American spider is often found in boxes of exported fruit, particularly BANANAS.


Answer: Brazilian wandering

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Ten Dangerous Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Envia garciai, Yellow sac, Carrai cave

8. How many palps, also known as pedipalps, does a tarantula have?


Answer: 2

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Terrific Tarantulas
 
Some incorrect choices:
1, 0, 4

9. How many pairs of antennae do spiders have?


Answer: none

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

From Quiz: Spider Anatomy
 
Some incorrect choices:
one, two, three

10. About how many named species of spiders are there?


Answer: 46,000

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

From Quiz: A Mixed Web of Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
57,000, 115,000, 75,000

11. While true spiders, as we would consider them today, developed some 85 million years ago, modern spiders first appeared in which of Earth's geological periods?


Answer: Triassic

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Eeek, It's a Spider!
 
Some incorrect choices:
Jurassic, Paleozoic, Cretaceous

12. How many legs do spiders have?


Answer: 8

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Arachnids for Dummies!
 
Some incorrect choices:
6, 4, it varies

13. Where do funnel-web spiders make their homes?


Answer: In the ground and in trees

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Fearsome Funnel-Web Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Only in the ground, Only in trees, In bodies of water such as swimming pools and toilet bowls

14. The female black widow is known for having a red hourglass shape on the underside of her abdomen. How are the male spiders marked?


Answer: yellow and red bands with spots on the back

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Black Widow Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
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

15. What are the two major groups of ticks?


Answer: Hard and soft

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Trouble with Ticks
 
Some incorrect choices:
Flying and flightless, Small and large, Winter and summer

16. What's this crawling on my floor? Also considered among the most dangerous in the world, this Australian spider has hard FANGS that, once embedded, literally have to be TORN OUT of the skin of its victim.


Answer: Sydney funnel web

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Ten Dangerous Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Mullamullang cave, Australian red-back, Tasmanian cave

17. How many body segments does a spider have?


Answer: 2

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

From Quiz: Spider Anatomy
 
Some incorrect choices:
1, 3, 4

18. In what country can the smallest spider in the world be found in?


Answer: Samoa

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Indonesia, France, South Africa

19. Where are Red Widow Spiders found?


Answer: central and southern Florida

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

From Quiz: A Mixed Web of Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
from northern Florida to southern Canada, Central America, all over southeastern United States

20. Besides its use as a sensory apparatus, what is another purpose of the hair on a tarantula's body?


Answer: Defense

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Tarantulas
 
Some incorrect choices:
Warmth, Attracting mates, Marking territory

21. What does a funnel-web spider look like?


Answer: The adults have a body 3-5cm (1-2 in) long with a black or dark brown colouring.

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Fearsome Funnel-Web Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
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

22. Web making is a very tiring business. What do some spiders do with the webs in order to re-boost their energy levels?


Answer: Eat them

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Amazing Spider Web
 
Some incorrect choices:
Glue the strands together with calcium, Anchor them to different levels, Reinforce the edges

23. The female widow spider produces silk for her web and for the 4-9 egg sacs she lays per year. What type of web and consistency of silk does she have?


Answer: large irregular web, strong silk

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Black Widow Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
large irregular web, fine silk, precisely patterned web, strong silk, precisely patterned web, fine silk

24. What does it mean when a spider is oviparous?


Answer: The spider can lay eggs

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

From Quiz: Freaky Spider Facts
 
Some incorrect choices:
It is infertile, There are twice as many legs as any other spider, The spider has both male and female organs

25. Ticks have a special structure in their mouths that allows them to latch on firmly to a host. What is it called?


Answer: Hypostome

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Trouble with Ticks
 
Some incorrect choices:
Gastrostome, Hydrastome, Myriastome

26. The legs of a huntsman spider fan out sideways, and the joints are twisted forward in a crablike fashion. How is this useful for the spider?


Answer: It means that they can run forwards, as well as sideways

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Huntsman Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
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

27. There were reports as far back as World War I of camel spiders trying to chase after soldiers in broad daylight. For what purpose?


Answer: For shade

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Inimitable Camel Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
To attack, To defend their burrows, They smelled food

28. What's this crawling in my garage? This dangerous spider is easily identified by a "RED HOURGLASS" on its abdomen.


Answer: Black widow

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Ten Dangerous Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Black-footed, Black wishbone, Black rugose trapdoor

29. What are a tarantula's defensive hairs called?


Answer: Urticating hairs

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Terrific Tarantulas
 
Some incorrect choices:
Irritating hairs, Hairs, Defensive hairs

30. Giant hairy scorpions (Hadrurus) have the distinction of being the _________ scorpion native to North America.


Answer: largest

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: For Scorpion Hobbyists
 
Some incorrect choices:
most elusive, fastest, most dangerous

31. What is the proper name for the organs that include the fangs?


Answer: chelicerae

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Spider Anatomy
 
Some incorrect choices:
pedipalp, pedicel, coxa

32. A black widow spins what type of web?


Answer: cobweb

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

From Quiz: Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
orb-web, funnelweb, no web

33. What is the spider that invades other spiders' webs?


Answer: Pirate Spiders

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

From Quiz: A Mixed Web of Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Rafting Spiders, Widows, Nursery Web Spiders

34. How many eggs can a Mexican red-kneed spider lay at any one time?


Answer: 250 to 400

From Quiz: Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
175 to 200, 25 to 50, 60 to 100

35. Where do the females of the Argyroneta aquatica family of spiders live?


Answer: Under water

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Eeek, It's a Spider!
 
Some incorrect choices:
In the human ear, Inside mango fruits, On top of Mount Everest

36. What is the unique characteristic of a black widow spider?


Answer: Red hourglass on the abdomen

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Arachnids for Dummies!
 
Some incorrect choices:
Red hourglass on the backside, Red eyes, Red legs

37. What sort of diet do funnel-web spiders enjoy?


Answer: Carnivorous

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Fearsome Funnel-Web Spiders
 
Some incorrect choices:
Omnivorous, Herbivorous, Scarsdale diet

38. Surprisingly, not all spiders make webs to capture prey, nor anchor webs to fixed objects. How then do these spiders catch their food?


Answer: All of these methods

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Amazing Spider Web
 
Some incorrect choices:
Running prey down in an open chase, Weaving small webs on their feet, Pouncing from concealment

39. What time of year does the female widow lay her egg sacs?


Answer: summer

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: The Black Widow Spider
 
Some incorrect choices:
spring, winter, fall (autumn)

40. From where does the word 'Arachnid' come?


Answer: Greek mythology

Interesting Information:
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.

From Quiz: Freaky Spider Facts
 
Some incorrect choices:
Roman mythology, Egyptian mythology, Hindu mythology
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