Reproduction
Males deposit sperm onto a small sperm web and transfer it to females using modified pedipalps. Sexual cannibalism, while iconic, occurs in only a minority of species.
Females produce egg sacs containing dozens to hundreds of eggs. Spiderlings often disperse by 'ballooning' on silk threads carried by air currents.
References
- [1]Spider Life Cycle - Penn State Extension. Accessed June 2026.
Related in Biology
- Spider anatomySpiders (order Araneae) have two body segments - the cephalothorax (prosoma) and abdomen (opisthosoma) - connected by a narrow pedicel.
- Spider silk and web typesAll spiders produce silk, but not all build webs.
- Spider vision and sensesMost spiders have poor vision and rely on vibration and touch.
- Spider respiration: book lungs and tracheaeSpiders breathe through book lungs, tracheae, or both, depending on lineage.
- Molting and growthSpiders grow by molting their exoskeleton.
- Spider venom compositionSpider venoms are complex cocktails of peptides, enzymes, and low-molecular-weight compounds.