Spiders are distant relatives of crustaceans. They occupied almost all continents, adapted to life on land, in water and underground. They are divided into several groups, one of which is migalomorphic spiders. The representatives of this group will be discussed in the article.
Migalomorphic spiders: description
All spiders have characteristic features. They have eight legs, and the body has two distinct sections: cephalothorax and abdomen. All spiders are predators. Catching the victim, they paralyze it with their poison. To do this, they have chelicerae - small sharp processes near the mouth, equipped with toxic glands.
Due to the different structure of the chelicera, the order is divided into araneomorphic and migalomorphic spiders. In the first, the processes are directed towards each other and are folded with a cross. In representatives of the second group, the chelicerales are placed in parallel, bending, they fold under the basal segment.
Today, about 2000 species are known. Megalomorphic spiders are larger than their counterparts, and live longer. Their life expectancy reaches 30 years, while many araneomorphic species live within one year. They are rare in Europe and live mainly in tropical areas.
Many migomorphic spiders do not build hunting nets to catch prey. Most often, they live in holes, next to which they place a thin signal thread. When the victim touches her, the spider jumps out and attacks.
Tarantula spider: photo and description
The bird eater is the most famous representative of the group. They like to start it as a pet. They live in Africa, South America, Australia and Oceania, are found in Southeast Asia, southern Europe and southern North America. They live in burrows or in the crowns of equatorial forest trees.
As can be seen in the photo, the tarantula spider is densely covered with special burning hairs. They are toxic and cause allergic reactions in contact with the skin, mucous membranes or lungs. Some species comb them in danger or during stress. In size, the spider can reach 20 centimeters. Females live to 30 years, but males die within a year (sometimes a month if mating has occurred) after reaching puberty.
Despite the name, tarantulas eat not only birds. They eat frogs, fish, insects and small rodents. They do not prepare traps and traps for prey, but they watch and attack it.
Arthropods perform a ritual dance before breeding. During mating, a hungry female can eat a male, so he tries to hide as soon as possible after the completion of the process. The cocoon, which the female lays, is often mistaken for the egg of a tarantula spider, but in fact the eggs are inside. There can be from 50 to 2000.
Atypical Tarantulas
Atypids are also called digger spiders. Their habitat covers almost the whole of Eurasia, Africa, as well as the USA and Mexico. Unlike most migalomorphs, they are not large at all. The size of the atipids is up to one centimeter.
They live in colonies, where each individual has its own mink. The depth of the hole reaches half a meter. The spider is lining its entrance with a silk tube, into which the victim must fall. The top is slightly covered with leaves and ground. When hunting, the spider hides in an ambush, and when the prey touches its trap, it pounces on it, enveloping it with cobwebs.
The atipids also mate in the tube, from which the male never exits. He dies after a few months, turning into food for his "second half." Spiders become adults only after four years.
The body of the digger is smooth and shiny. It can be completely black or brown, sometimes only the body is black, and the legs are brownish. You can recognize it by the unusually large chelicera. For humans, spiders are not toxic, but a bite can cause an allergy.
Funnel spiders, or hexatelides
This family has about 105 species. They live in eastern Australia, in New Zealand, in South and Southeast Asia, in the southwest of South America, in the Mediterranean and in Central Africa.
Spiders reach 1 to 5 centimeters. Their body is matte or shiny, elongated in length. Color can be black or brown. The hairs are small and are present only on the legs and abdomen. Sometimes there is a pattern on the abdomen. Males are usually much smaller than females.
Hexatelids build holes or settle in hollows of trees. Their web resembles a funnel, which is why their name occurs. They are common in places with a tropical climate, found in the mountains and on the coasts.
Funnel spiders are one of the most poisonous in the world. Most species live in Australia and Asia, where many people die because of them. Fatal outcome occurs within half an hour after a bite.