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SPIDERS.FYI / The digital spider museum
Glossary
Technical terms explained in the language you have chosen.
- Angular speed
- Change of angle over time, such as degrees per second; not running speed.
- Araneae
- The zoological order of true spiders within the arachnids.
- Ballooning
- Aerial dispersal using released silk threads.
- Body length
- Length of the body excluding legs; distinct from leg span.
- Book lungs
- Respiratory organs with thin, closely arranged lamellae.
- Chelicerae
- Mouthparts that carry the spider’s fangs.
- Cuticle
- Outer covering forming the exoskeleton, renewed during moulting.
- Egg sac
- Silken covering around eggs; form and parental attendance vary among species.
- Exuvia
- The shed external covering remaining after a moult.
- Fossil
- Preserved remains or traces of past life; not a complete view of an ecosystem.
- Leg span
- Extent across the legs; posture and measurement method affect the value.
- Microhabitat
- Small habitat with particular conditions, such as beneath bark.
- Natural selection
- Differences in reproductive success associated with heritable traits in an environment.
- Opisthosoma
- Abdomen; contains silk glands and bears the spinnerets.
- Orb web
- Web architecture with a frame, radial supports and a spiral capture area.
- Pedicel
- Narrow stalk joining the front body region and abdomen.
- Pedipalps
- Paired appendages near the mouth, used in sensing and, in mature males, sperm transfer.
- Prosoma
- Front body region carrying eyes, mouthparts, pedipalps and walking legs.
- Spinnerets
- Movable abdominal appendages bearing small silk outlets.
- Uraraneida
- Extinct group including Attercopus, related to true spiders.