Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman · Vinony

Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman · Vinony

“Did you know that on a weight basis spider silk is five times the strength of steel?”
“No, most spiders are harmless and they do play a very important part in nature. We market spiders as the "Farmer’s and gardener’s best friend." Spiders are very important predators in crops and they prey on a variety of pest species. Of the more than 2,000 known species of South Africa only a few come into contact with humans and when they bite the wound might need some treatment.”
“Spiders as predators play a very important role as biological control agents. Especially now, when people want crops without pesticides, spiders have a role to play. We have started the red-listing process, but it is not yet completed. The most threatened species will probably be the baboon and trapdoor spiders, which can be affected by the pet trade and habitat destruction.”
“In houses we find many species that are cosmopolitical, and they have moved with people all around the world. We commonly find some of the jumping spiders feeding on flies and cockroaches, the spitting spiders feeding on booklice, ant-eaters feeding on ants, rain spiders feeding on moths, the daddy long legs feeding on ants and the brown button spiders feeding on bugs. The only problem species in houses is the sac spider and in a few areas violin spiders.”
“Their most distinctive characteristic is their ability to produce silk. These silk threads are produced in silk glands situated in the abdomen. Silk threads are used daily in numerous ways by the spider, [e.g.] wrapping of prey, to hang from during ecdysis, to deposit sperms on before mating (sperm web), to tie the female down during mating, and egg sac construction. Silk threads are also used extensively to construct intricate traps to catch prey.”
“The ability to produce venom: all spiders, except one family, produce venom to subdue or kill prey. The venom is produced by a pair of venom glands in the cephalothorax and secreted through small openings on the tip of the fang. Most spiders are polyphagous and feed on a variety of available prey; they are one of the most common predator groups found in ecosystems and have special adaptations towards a predatory way of life.”