What are Arachnids?
Arachnids are an old subphylum of arthropods chracterized by their chelicerae (food-manipulating appendages located near the mouth). They are named after the Greek arachne, meaning spider. Common arachnids include spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites, making up over 100,000 named species and over a million estimated species. Because most mites are microscopic and tropical, their diversity has been poorly characterized. Arachnids were among the first animals to live on land, alongside nematodes and myriapods (millipedes, etc.) They reached land during the Devonian, about 410 million years ago, represented by trigonotarbids, a now-extinct group. For a while, the oldest known fossil of a terrestrial animal was an arachnid. Unlike insects, to which they are related, arachnids have eight legs rather than six. Only a few mites have six or four legs. In most arachnids, the front two pairs of legs are adapted for functions besides walking, such as feeding, sensing, and defense. Als
Hence more people come into contact with this spider at this time of the year than any other. In the many years of recording spider bites, about thirteen deaths have been caused by the Funnel Web. This spider seems to mainly be found in the Sydney basin, although a close relative of it, which is not so venomous is more widespread in Australia. In fact most people who die from spider bites are often bitten by the Funnel Web or the Black Widow. An antivenin is available (this counteracts the venom injected by the spider.) The final extremely venomous spider that has caused deaths is the Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria sp.) This species of spider is feared in and around Brazil and there are reported cases of young children being killed by it. Little other information appears to be available about its range and the effects of its venom. There are a few other highly venomous spiders, details on many of these can be found in the articles below: Other pages on venomous spiders: • Spide
