Spiders are often a source of fear for many due to their unfriendly appearance. Whether they are common house spiders or venomous ones, they all carry a reputation for being frighteningly ugly. Just their hairy legs and eight eyes are enough to make anyone faint! Yet, Mother Nature has created a species of spider that is incredibly “fancy.” This is the devil’s horned spider, which is no larger than a fingernail and boasts a vibrant color palette reminiscent of a carnival!
Despite their scary appearance, the devil’s horned spider is not venomous. They do not pose a threat to humans, and in fact, many people find their “bull horns” quite cute!
The Devil’s Horned Spider – A “Masterpiece” of Nature
The devil’s horned spider is a member of the Araneidae family, which has a massive presence across the globe. They are relatively small, with an average body diameter of only about 3 cm, yet they possess enormous horns reminiscent of gladiators.
According to a research document titled “Early Spider Webs from the Cretaceous Period and Their Prey”, published by a group of international authors in 2006, the devil’s horned spider may be one of the ancient “weavers” that appeared over 100 million years ago. They are even believed to have gone extinct three times, only to spectacularly reemerge.
Today, while the devil’s horned spider is no longer rare, it remains a unique creature that fascinates scientists. They are called “horned spiders” due to their distinctive circular web-spinning technique, which serves as the “signature” of the Araneidae family.
And here are their delicate yet formidable circular webs.
They are also known as star spiders or spiny orb weavers due to their impressively spiky “shell.” The largest spikes are symmetrically located in the center of their backs, while smaller ones fan out like crab legs. Perhaps this is the spider with the most “stage names” on Earth! Horned spiders are found on all continents, including Singapore, eastern Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, the Americas, and Australia…
The devil’s horned spider comes in various shapes. Some have gigantic horns, while others are covered in small spines. Some are dark, while others are colorful, but all are quite bizarre! Just one glance is enough to give you chills due to their impressive appearance.
Whatever color you like, we have it!
The hard outer shell protects the devil’s horned spiders from stings by enemies and struggling prey, such as wasps. These spiders arch their backs towards predators and defend themselves with sharp spines. The spines also make it difficult for birds of prey to catch them. If they are swallowed, enemies must spit them out immediately to avoid choking. This tiny creature also possesses a secret weapon: a smelly chemical that causes most enemies to retreat immediately.
In Australia, devil’s horned spiders are excellent “warriors” in exterminating insects. In the United States, they can be found adorning flower beds or walls covered with vines. They are diligent gardeners, weaving countless patterned webs everywhere. Their “invisible” webs are quite sophisticated, making it easy for insects and flying wasps to get caught.
A group of devil’s horned spiders diligently spinning webs across the leaves.
The tiny “assassin” hangs its enormous horns in mid-air.
When prey gets caught in the web, the “assassin” senses it through vibrations. It rushes out to inject venom and digestive fluid using its tiny fangs, paralyzing the victim. Then it uses its own web to wrap the prey like a cocoon. And they don’t take a break, tirelessly weaving new webs to trap more prey the next day. Perhaps that’s why the devil’s horned spider is known for being “a day sleeper and a night worker!”
The bite of these tiny, multi-legged creatures is completely harmless to humans. However, their spines can pierce your skin and cause pain. Be cautious if you see colorful spines protruding from the bushes!
5 Seconds of “Life or Death” After Mating
Like many other spider species around the world, male devil’s horned spiders have a rather tragic fate. Instead of dying from illness or old age, they will “meet their maker” right after mating. It’s not because they are overwhelmed with joy and die, but rather they are eaten by the female spider immediately after their first mating!
Would you like to sacrifice yourself for our offspring?
Researchers have found that no male spider survives past their second mating. If they manage to escape death the first time, it’s because they “quickly jumped” away within 5 seconds. If they stay for more than 10 seconds of “affection,” they end up as the female spider’s meal!
This species of devil’s horned spider also experiences depression if they mate with relatives. Females will become stressed if they encounter a partner who is “a cousin.” How do they know this? You might want to try hiding in a bush somewhere in America and ask a few devil’s horned spiders for a “chat,” but we certainly don’t know!
