Yellow spider title. Spider-walker. Funny animal or deadly danger? Different types of spiders

The bulk of the food is flies, which are a breeding ground for many harmful bacteria.

The poison of sidewalk spiders is planned to be used as pesticides in the future.

Pests of agricultural lands become frequent prey of the side-walker spider: meadow moth, two-winged apple suckers, aphids, bugs, weevils.

In medicine, research is being carried out on spider venom to treat arrhythmia, Alzheimer's disease, erectile dysfunction, and stroke.

What to do with a bite

Sidewalk spiders are not dangerous for humans, but their bite is still unpleasant with the following symptoms:

• redness, swelling, itching and burning of the bite site;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• weakness.

When bitten by a sidewalk spider, it is enough to apply ice to the wound and take antihistamines. The bite site can be treated with Star balm or Fenistil-gel.

Often we mistake spiders for ordinary insects, but this is wrong. They have at their disposal poisonous glands containing toxins. All types of sidewalk spiders must be handled with care to avoid the unpleasant sensations that bite these crumbs.

Spiders are arthropods that belong to the arachnid class. Representatives of this class, today, there are about 40 thousand species. They differ from each other in the way of life, appearance, type of food. In nature, the most various types spiders: the smallest and harmless spiders (0.37 mm), as well as the most dangerous spiders and even the most poisonous spiders in the world (up to 25 cm). And in this article we will tell you about several amazing and interesting species.

Spider tarantula - Theraphosidae

The tarantula spider is perhaps the most big spider in the world, or rather the family of tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae). Some members of this family can reach 30.5 cm in leg span, such as the king baboon, black and purple tarantula. The body of tarantulas is always densely covered with long and short hairs. Body color can be gray-brown or bright colors(red, blue, red). Tarantulas live in countries with a hot climate (Africa, South America, Oceania, Australia). These spiders inhabit abandoned bird and rodent nests or burrow near tree trunks. Active mainly in the evening. Then they go hunting or catch a running prey nearby. Tarantulas feed on insects, small birds and rodents. These spiders breed in late summer. The female lays her eggs in a web cocoon, which she carries with her and does not lose sight of. They protect the offspring, so that the spiders that come out of the cocoon sit on the mother's abdomen for some time. But soon they begin to lead an independent life. The poison of the tarantula paralyzes the victim and decomposes its insides, then the spider sucks out the contents of the victim's body. For humans, the poison of the tarantula is not dangerous, but quite painful. The bite site bakes, hurts and swells, sometimes gets yellow. But these symptoms go away after a few weeks.

Spider spider - Araneus

Crosses are members of the Orb Weaver family (Araneidae). They belong to the contract reticulum spiders. They have an egg-shaped convex abdomen, on which there is a pattern in the form of a cross. Body color from gray to red. They are covered with long setae, sparsely located along the body and densely covered with short, fine hairs. The length of the body in the male is 10-11 mm, in the female - 17-40 mm. About 30 species of crosses live on the territory of the CIS and Russia. These spiders are active in the evening. They deftly weave a web, where many small insects come across. Mating and oviposition occurs in autumn. The female lays her eggs in a web cocoon and hides it under the bark or other secluded place. In the spring, spiderlings emerge from the cocoon. By the end of summer, a new generation of spiders grows up, and their mother dies. The cross spider is poisonous, but it is not dangerous for humans. His bite is painful, but the burning and swelling at the bite site disappears after a few hours.

Karakurt spider - Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

This is not a big black spider at all. The body of the female (10-20 mm) is completely black, from which she is also called the black widow, the body of the male (4-7 mm) is also black, but with bright red spots on the abdomen (usually 13 spots ). Spider karakurt lives on the territory Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in North Africa, Southern Europe, Kazakhstan, in the south of Russia and Ukraine. They prefer the slopes of ravines, virgin sagebrush, wastelands, banks of ditches. Karakurts populate abandoned rodent burrows and ventilation systems, braiding the entrance with cobwebs. In such dens, females and males mate in late summer. The female lays her eggs in a cocoon of cobwebs and hangs it in her lair. In spring, spiderlings emerge from cocoons. Karakurts feed small insects. Their venom is toxic to large animals and humans. There is burning and swelling at the site of the bite. After 10-15 minutes, the poison spreads throughout the body and the person experiences pain in chest, abdominal part. Dizziness, nausea, sweating, palpitations, delirium also occur. And if you don't provide it in time medical care, available fatal outcome(In most cases). Karakurt bites the skin only by 0.5 mm, therefore it is recommended to burn the bite with a lit match within 2 minutes after the bite.

White karakurt - Latrodectus pallidus

Image of white karakurt

This is a white spider long legs and round belly. The abdomen is white or milky, with 4 depressions. Legs and cephalothorax yellow or light brown. white spider has a body 10-20 mm long. Females are larger than males. White spiders weave a web in the form of a cone, which is connected to a trapping net. They live in North Africa, the Middle East, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The white karakurt spider is not aggressive, but its venom is toxic and can cause complications. Children and the elderly are most affected by the poison. Toxicological studies have shown that the venom of the white karakurt resembles the venom of the karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimtugattus). If you are bitten by this spider, you should consult a doctor.

Camel spider - Camel spider

The camel spider has many names: phalanxes, bihorks, salpugs, hairdressers, barbers, wind scorpion. Body (5-7 cm) slightly oblong, light and dark red, densely covered with long, fine hairs. The body shape of a camel spider is similar to a scorpion, especially with its chelicerae (pincers). With them, he is able to bite through a human nail and even small bones of birds. Also, with his chelicerae, he cuts hairs and feathers from his victims and puts them in his dwelling. The camel spider lives in the desert regions of Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. Phalanx spider nocturnal predator. It is practically omnivorous and carnivorous, feeding on various insects, rodents, lizards. The eyes of camel spiders are like those of scorpions: 2 compound eyes in the middle and one each on the sides of the cephalothorax. Compound eyes are highly responsive to movement, so these spiders are incredibly fast, up to 53 cm/s (1.9 km/h).
The camel spider is not poisonous, but it has an incredible painful bite. And also on its chelicerae, the remnants of the tissues of the previous victim can rot, which can cause serious inflammation.

Jumping spiders - Salticidae

Jumping spiders or jumping spiders are a family of araneomorphic spiders, which includes 610 genera and 5800 species. They live in tropical forests, deserts, semi-deserts, temperate zone forests and mountains. These are small spiders, up to 2 cm long. The body is pubescent. These spiders have well developed eyesight. They have 8 eyes, thanks to which they see 360º degrees. Jumping spiders differ among themselves in body shape, color and range. There are such types of jumping spiders:
- the golden horse spider lives in the southeast of Asian countries, and is characterized by a long abdominal part and a large first pair of legs. The body has a very peculiar golden coloration. The length of the male rarely exceeds 76 mm, and the females have more large sizes;

- Himalayan jumping spiders are the smallest spiders. They live high above sea level, in the Himalayas, where their only prey is random small insects that blow on the mountain slopes. strong wind;

- the green horse spider lives in New Guinea, New South Wales and Queensland. Often found in Western Australia. The male has very bright color, and his body is adorned with long "whiskers" of white color;

- a red-backed species of a horse spider to settle in relatively dry areas. The red spider is often found on coastal dunes or in oak forest areas North America. These red spiders are unique in that they are able to build tube-type silk nests under rocks and on the surface. vine;

- the Hyllus Diardi species has a body up to 1.3 cm long. Compared to other species of horse spiders, it does not weave a web, therefore, to catch prey, it attaches a silk thread to some support, and then jumps from such a kind of "bungee" to its own sacrifice;

- the ant jumping spider looks very similar to an ant and is most often found in tropical zones from Africa to central Australia. Body color can vary from light yellow to black.

Jumping spiders are unique in that they can jump long distances (20 times their body size). Before jumping, they cling to the substrate with a web (thus securing their jump), then push their body out with their hind legs. Jumping spiders are absolutely harmless to humans. They have poison, but it does not affect humans, and their bite is almost painless.

Argiope Bruennichi or spider wasp - Argiope bruennichi

Argiope has a second name spider wasp, as the color of the body and the shape of the abdomen resembles a wasp. Body length 2-3 cm (leg span). The abdomen is elongated with bright stripes, the colors yellow, white, black predominate. The legs are long, thin, mostly in an X-shaped position. The wasp spider lives in Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, Central Asia, China, Korea, India and Japan, North Africa, South and Central Europe, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus. These spiders are also quite common in Russia. Argiope belongs to the family of orb-weaving spiders (Araneidae). It is typical for these spiders to weave a wheel-shaped web, and to have a stabilimentum (zigzag pattern) in the center. This is a forest spider. He very often settles on lawns, forests, gardens, in tall grass, between tree branches. The wasp spider feeds on various insects. Mating occurs after the female molts, while the integument of her body remains soft. The female lays her eggs in a large cocoon (outwardly resembling a seed box of plants) and places it next to the trapping web. Spiderlings emerge from the cocoon at the beginning of autumn and settle downwind on cobwebs. For humans, the wasp spider is not dangerous. Its venom may cause only slight redness, swelling and pain, but these symptoms pass very quickly.

Wolf spiders - Lycosidae

Wolf spiders are a family of araneomorphic spiders with 2367 species. The body color is usually gray-brown. The body is covered with small short hairs. Some species reach more than 3 cm (legspan). The wolf spider lives almost everywhere except Antarctica. He prefers moist forests, meadows, hiding under fallen leaves, stones, wood. They don't spin webs. These are earthen spiders, so they live in a hole, which is only covered with cobwebs inside. If this is a private sector, you can easily stumble upon it in the basement. If there is a garden nearby, it can easily get into your cellar. Active at night. The wolf spider preys on insects or catches those who run near its hole. This spider is a good jumper. He can jump on the victim, insuring himself with a cobweb. Mating takes place in summer. After mating, the female lays her eggs in a cocoon that she wears at the end of her abdomen. After 2-3 weeks, the spiderlings emerge from the cocoon and climb onto the abdomen of the mother's mother. So they sit until they learn to get their own food. The wolf spider is not dangerous to humans. Its sting is equivalent to a bee sting, which causes itching, swelling and redness, which quickly pass.

Harvest spiders - Pholcidae

This family contains about 1000 species of spiders. Harvest spiders have a small body and long thin legs. Body size 2-10 mm. Leg length reaches 50 mm. Body color grayish or reddish. Harvest spiders are ubiquitous. Some species live in people's homes. There they find warm and dry places, mostly near windows. They feed on small insects. These spiders weave a large web in a chaotic manner. The web is not sticky, but when the victim tries to get out of it, it becomes even more tangled. After mating, the females lay their eggs in a web cocoon, which they attach to the side of the trapping nets. For humans, spiders are absolutely harmless. Their venom is harmless and the bite cannot be felt.

Goliath tarantula - Theraphosa blondi

This giant spider is considered the largest in the world. The span of his legs reaches 30 cm. In Venezuela (1965), one of the representatives of this species was listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The span of his legs was 28 cm. It is believed that the leg span of Heteropoda maxima is even longer, up to 35 cm. But this species has a small body and long thin legs. So he is small against the backdrop of a massive goliath.
The body of the goliath is light or dark brown in color, densely covered with short hairs. They live in burrows, the entrance of which is covered with cobwebs. This huge spider lives in the tropical forests of Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, northern Brazil. It feeds on various insects, rodents, frogs, lizards and even snakes. The life expectancy of females is 15-25 years, males - 3-6. These spiders are amazing in that they are able to make a hissing sound by rubbing their chelicerae; the ability to shake off the hairs from the abdomen in the face of the enemy, which cause swelling of the mucosa. Also, the goliath tarantula has large and sharp chelicerae (pincers), with which it can bite very painfully. Their poison is not dangerous for humans, the symptoms are the same as after a bee sting.

Runner Spider (Spider Soldier, Banana, Wandering Spider) – Phoneutria

The Brazilian runner spider is the most venomous spider in the world. The length of its body reaches 15 cm. The body is pubescent, gray-brown in color. It lives in Central and South America. The runner spider feeds on insects, frogs, lizards, small birds. Lives in burrows, under leafy litter. But very often secluded places in people's houses become his dwelling. It is often called banana due to the fact that it is often found in banana boxes. These scary spiders have an incredibly toxic venom that causes instant death, which is why they are the most poisonous spiders in the world. Their venom contains the neurotoxin PhTx3, which paralyzes all the muscles in the human body, causes suffocation, and then death. Only 2-6 hours pass between bite and death. Old people and children are most affected by the venom of the runner spider. To date, there is a vaccine that neutralizes the effect of the poison, therefore, in the event of a bite by a runner spider, it is urgent to consult a doctor.

As you can see, representatives of arachnids are so different: some of them are pleasing to the eye, and at the sight of others, blood freezes in the veins, some can be picked up or taken at home as a pet, and some sow fear and bring instant death. Now you know which types of spiders are absolutely harmless, and which ones you need to stay away from. It pleases that dangerous species spiders are not found in our area, but mainly in tropical countries. But you never know what can happen... Nature is absolutely unpredictable.

Although this creature is cute, it inspires inner anxiety. Some unreasonable fear. It is especially creepy to watch how a spider with yellow stripes, it is also called a wasp, cracks down on defenseless grasshoppers and flies. He sets up a trapping net, sits half-asleep, waits. But as soon as the careless insect enters the field of view, it immediately changes - it quickly pounces, paralyzes the victim with poison and deftly packs the "lunch" in a cocoon of cobwebs. Is it dangerous for humans?

At first glance, a very cute spider ... until you find out that he is poisonous

Dossier on the wasp spider

The first question that arises at the sight of an unusual arthropod is the name of a spider with bright yellow stripes. It is the color that causes confusion - it is called both “wasp”, and “zebra”, even “tiger”. Biologists dubbed the striped spider.

Place in the spider family

The genus Argiope belongs to the family of orb-weaving spiders, has over 80 species. In our area, Argiope Brünnich is most often found, a species named after a Danish natural explorer. Biological characteristic includes several recognizable features.

• Yellow-black-white coloration, consisting of alternating stripes.
• Explicit sexual dimorphism - "girls" exceed males in size by 4-5 times.
• Predatory habits, the use of poison to paralyze victims.
• Trapping radial web, typical of orb weavers, set up vertically or slightly sloping.
• Eating males by females after mating.

What does it look like?

Female spiders are quite large - they reach a length of 2.5-3 cm, and taking into account the length of the limbs, even 4 cm. Their cephalothorax is “fluffy”, covered with thick short hairs of a silvery hue. The abdomen is slightly elongated, reminiscent of a wasp in shape and coloring. The yellow-white background is lined with thin transverse black lines - hence the impression of wide yellow stripes on the back. Paws are long, with dark bandages.

Males are small and inconspicuous, no more than 5–7 mm in size. The dorsal pattern consists of light yellow and dark stripes.

Where is it found?

The habitual habitat of spiders with yellow stripes is subtropical and steppe zone. It is due to the love of arachnids for warmth. But global climate change led to the fact that the wasp spider moved north, successfully adapted in the Moscow region, the Volga region, and the central regions of Russia.

Note! A spider with yellow stripes sets its nets low (30–40 cm above the soil surface), pulling the threads of the web between plants, does not like to be disturbed. Therefore, it will settle in the garden only in places where the hands of the owners do not reach, where the arthropod will not be disturbed by weeding, pruning, loosening.

Lifestyle

Wasp spiders live alone or in small groups, the maximum colony size is up to 20 arthropods. They belong to the category of predatory spiders, their favorite diet is grasshoppers, dragonflies, flies. Sometimes bees and wasps get into the net, but then the battle flares up not for life, but for death. From bee (wasp) poison, the unlucky hunter dies.

At dusk, a spider with yellow stripes on its back weaves trapping webs. It spreads a radial net, deftly connecting the stems of plants with spiral threads. In the center or at the bottom of the web weaves a special "decor" - a stabilimentum - a thickened zigzag thread. Scientists interpret the purpose of this “pattern” in different ways - for masking, attracting prey, as a sign to relatives that the territory is occupied.

Interesting! The wasp spider is one of the fastest weavers. It creates a circular network with a radius of up to half a meter in 40–60 minutes.

After the labors, the argiope sits down on the stabilimentum and patiently waits for the prey. The spider sprinkles poison into the victim, which paralyzes and turns the insides into a liquid mass. It is this “broth” that the predator sucks out, leaving only a chitinous shell from the insect. To maintain life, the spider needs one successful hunt per week.

Life cycle features

Lifespan big spiders with yellow stripes - 1 year. Puberty comes in the second half of summer, July - August - it's time for mating and laying eggs.

The fertilized female kills and eats the male, and a few days later begins to weave a cocoon to lay her eggs. The larger the argiope, the more offspring it produces - the clutches of some specimens reach 400 eggs.

The spider is a caring mother. She weaves a reliable fluffy cocoon, hangs it in a secluded place, and guards it. Argiope dies before juveniles appear.

Young (juvenile) spiderlings hatch in autumn. In cold climates, they remain under the protection of a cocoon until spring, then they settle and mature quickly.

Interesting! Did you know that "Indian summer" is the period of settlement of juvenile spiders. The baby crawls out of their cocoon, climbs a hill and throws out a web. The arthropod, picked up by the wind, rushes towards independent life. It is so small that we see only a weightless net circling in the air.

"Relationship" with a person

Although the spider with yellow stripes on its back is classified as poisonous, great danger for a man he does not represent. Firstly, he is afraid of people and will never attack first, rather, he will run away or fall to the ground and pretend to be dead. Secondly, argiope is not able to bite through human skin to inject poison.

But if you take a wasp spider bare hand, an unpleasant and rather painful bite is provided. Redness and itching of the stung place passes quite quickly. In allergy sufferers, the reaction can be more violent and unpredictable - from severe swelling of the bite site to fever and swelling of the airways.

Therefore, it is better to stay away from the beautiful and insidious arthropod. In the garden, flower garden, he does not belong at all. But if you meet in the forest - let him live!

Wasp spider video:

You can meet the sidewalk spider in any part of Europe. They move exclusively sideways, for which they got their name. It will not be easy to see them - thanks to their coloring, they, like chameleons, can merge with environment. They prefer to live among flowering grasses, which allows them to catch butterflies, flies and bees, which make up the diet of these spiders. Depending on the weather, they can change their place of residence. During the rainy season, they prefer to seek shelter under the wide leaves of plants.

Body structure and coloration

Females are twice the size of males and can reach a length of 1-1.2 cm. Modified forelimbs allow spiders to move quickly and instantly pull food into their "embraces". The color of these amazing creatures comes in almost all shades - white, pink, lemon, brown, green, red. Most prominent representatives of this species live inside flower buds. Darker ones, with spots and patterns, live on the bark of trees and the ground. The white sidewalk spider is able to merge with the petals, as it has not only a milky body, but also eyes of the same shade.

Peculiarities

Sidewalker spiders do not spin webs to catch flying insects. Female spiders make sacs out of this sticky substance, in which they lay eggs. Also, with the help of a web, they descend from higher plants to lower ones. But the most amazing thing is that with the onset of autumn, they use it as vehicle. Having saddled bags, they are able to go on a long journey with the first gust of wind. In warm and dry weather, they cover a distance of several kilometers. Sometimes on one cobweb you can see a whole family of spiders. To stop at a place they like, they simply release a cobweb on the nearest tree or plant.

Hunter Tactics

Despite their size, spiders are not afraid to attack more large insects. Like real hunters they can long time sit in ambush, waiting for the victim with open paws. As soon as a butterfly or a wasp lands on a flower, they instantly grab them and bite them in vulnerabilities. Injecting the poison flower spider starts eating. However, if the hunter has not eaten for a long time, then his behavior changes dramatically. He restlessly runs through the leaves, looking for the victim and moving his paws in anticipation of dinner. At the sight of an approaching insect, the spider freezes with its legs wide open. From the side it seems that he opened his friendly arms. Thanks to the coloring, they manage to remain unnoticed, and tactics bring the desired result.

reproduction

In early June, sidewalk spiders begin to mating season. Males, like real gentlemen, take care of the female. If she considers the candidate worthy, then mating takes place. After a short break, the procedure is repeated, and after a while the female attaches the cocoons wrapped in cobwebs to the back of the leaves. Although it is not common for this species to live surrounded by relatives, there are times when a whole family of spiders lives on one plant.

Is it dangerous for humans?

The poison of this predator is very toxic and can instantly paralyze the victim. But fortunately for man, his concentration is not strong enough. Contrary to popular belief, representatives of this species, having bright color They don't attack people themselves. They perfectly feel the danger and will not take risks, knowing that they will lose this battle. Do not be afraid if a spider bites a pet - your pet will most likely not even notice. But smaller representatives of the fauna may feel a slight malaise and disorientation. Mice, rats, hamsters and other rodents should not be kept near sidewalk spiders.

Such an animal can become an excellent pet. They are unpretentious in food and do not require much space. The terrarium must be at least 40 cm long and 30 cm wide. Special attention it is worth paying attention to humidity - the sidewalk spider will die if it ends up in a dry, closed container. The temperature should be within 20 degrees. As food, you need to select insects that do not exceed the size of the spider. Flies, cockroaches, crickets are ideal. With proper care, spiders live 2-3 years.

• Some species have the ability to slowly change their color.
• Before mating, the male brings his lady a gift in the form of an edible insect.
• Some people bring home sidewalkers on purpose to get rid of cockroaches.
• Spiders are able to distinguish the sounds of music and even "dance".
• Distinguish relative at a distance of up to 5 meters.
• For their manner of moving sideways, they are called crab spiders.
• Some species hunt exclusively at night, waiting for moths inside the flower.
• They do not attack insects that are much smaller than the body of a spider.
• Farmers move sidewalkers to their fields to get rid of pests.
• Due to the small size of the fangs, they are not able to bite through human skin.