15 Interesting species of spiders

Spiders may be the most feared animal on the planet, but there is no denying that they have a huge role in keeping insect populations in check. From tarantulas that can cover your face to 8-legged critters that can jump 20 times their own body length, join me as we count 15 fascinating types of spiders. Note: I will not be counting arachnids that are commonly mistaken for spiders, so we won't be talking about Harvestmen, Amblypygi or solifuges.

#15: Goliath Birdeater and Giant Huntsman

Most spiders are smaller than your fingernail. These guys are as big as dinner plates.

These spiders make the list mostly based on their size. They both tie for the title of world's largest spider in their own ways. The Goliath Birdeater has an 11 inch leg span and weighs in at 6.2 ounces, while the Giant Huntsman is less bulky, but has a full 1 foot leg span. Other than that, they are pretty typical spiders, from their venomous fangs to their method of eating prey (let's just say they digest their prey before they eat it).

#14: Sydney Funnel Web Spider

I might not mind spiders too much, but even I'll give these guys a wide berth!

The Brazilian Wandering Spider might have the strongest venom of all spiders, but these guys pose a much higher threat towards humans. Not only are they one of the few spiders that can kill us, but when provoked they will latch onto you and bite repeatedly until you pry it off, kill it or succumb to its venom. Fortunately, these guys spend most of their time within silk lined burrows waiting for prey, so they're pretty easy to avoid.

#13: Leaf Mimicking Spider

Could've fooled me.

These spiders have a unique design that let them hide among the leaves in a tree. Flies and other insects don't realize their right next to these spiders until after they've been captured and eaten. This camouflage also lets them hide from their own predators.

#12: Peacock Spider

Look at those colors!

What differentiates these guys from other jumping spiders is their way of getting mates. The males have colorful folds on their abdomens that they use to attract mates, much like the birds they're named after. Unfortunately for these guys, their mating rituals run the risk of getting them killed by their would-be girlfriends.

#11: Pirate Spider

Arrgh! That landlubber messed with the wrong captain!

These guys might not dress like actual pirates, but they still have some interesting differences from the others. For one thing, some species have false eyes on their abdomens to ward off predators. Second, they mostly feed on other spiders. Finally, they front 4 legs are extra long and covered in hard spines, kinda making these guys the Praying Mantises of the spider world.

#10: Spitting Spider

Spider Man ain't the only web shooter in this world!

When it comes to webbing, these guys do things a little different. Instead of releasing silk from their abdomens, they spit it out of their fangs when they encounter prey. This whole action takes a fraction of a second and these bugs have been seen capturing and consuming bugs much larger than themselves, including small scorpions.

#9: Green Lynx Spider

These use their venom for both offense and defense.

On the subject of weaponized spit, there is also the Green Lynx Spider. These bristly little buggers spit venom to ward off predators. The mother spiders will defend their egg sacs to the death. Much like other Lynx Spiders, they mostly wait near flowers to ambush pollinators like bees.

#8: Cellar Spider aka Daddy Long Legs

How can something so fragile looking be so effective?

What puts the Cellar Spider on the list is its size to killing power ratio. While they look frail, they are in fact dangerous predators capable of mummifying arthropods much larger than themselves, including centipedes and other spiders. On a side note, these guys pose no threat to humans besides terrifying arachnophobes, regardless of what the urban legend says.

#7: Diving Bell Spider

Good luck burning these spiders.

There are a handful of spiders that can walk on water, but these guys take it up a notch by spending most of their lives underwater despite being air breathers. They use silk to trap air bubbles for them to live in. The fine hairs on their abdomens also trap air, essentially giving them air suits. They drag any small fish, amphibians or other aquatic arthropods they catch to their homes to be liquified.

#6: bolas Spider

Yee Haw! Rope them flying entrees!

During the day, these spiders stay in 1 place looking like bird droppings. At night, however, they start dropping lines of silk with sticky globs at the ends to catch flying insects like moths. They can even emit different scents to attract various species of moths.

#5: Long Jawed Orb Weaver

My what big mouthparts you have!

This specimen's claim to fame is its extra long fangs. Like the raptorial limbs of a mantis, they serve to hold prey in place while the spider slurps it up like a milkshake. Their extra long legs also lets them travel across their webs at a quick pace.

#4: Ogre Faced Spider

This twiggy little gladiators know how catch some big game.

There are several things that make these guys different from other spiders. First of all, they mimic the appearance of twigs when they aren't hunting to evade predators. Second, they have 2 extra large eyes that give them great vision at night. Third and coolest of all, they build sticky silk nets to throw over any insects that pass underneath them.

#3: Ant Mimicking Spiders

Who knew certain arachnids could look like insects?

There are over 300 species of spiders that will hide among ant colonies by disguising themselves as ants. This lets them gain protection from the real ants while they feed on the larvae. However, this comes with the risk of the ants discovering their secrets and slaughtering them.

#2: Bagheera Kiplingi

Vegetarian spiders? Now I've seen everything!

These may look like your average jumping spiders, but they have a surprising feature: They have a vegetation diet. Keep in mind, most spiders (and arachnids in general) are purely carnivorous. That being said, these guys will still consume small insects if given the chance.

#1: Portia Spider

Not pictured: The spider that this guy will drain the life out of.

These jumping spiders are the assassins of the spider world. They specialize in killing web building spiders that are 200% bigger than themselves. Because of their remarkable brain power, they can devise a variety of different strategies to reach their victims. As if that wasn't enough, they use their muddled design to their advantage by mimicking leaf litter.

So anyways, I knew that I couldn't possibly include every species of spider on the planet. Some honorable mentions include the Golden Orb Weaver, the well camouflaged Lichen Huntsman Spider and the Darwin's Bark Spider, which can build webs literally 2 meters in diameter. If you can think of some spiders that you think deserve to be on this list, fell free to leave your suggestions in the comments. I'll see you later. Have a good day or night depending on what time it is.

References

• Wikipedia
• Monster Bug Wars