Most people think that spiders are insects. This is not true. Spiders belong to a group of animals called arachnids which are eight-legged animals. This is the main characteristic that distinguishes spiders from the six-legged insects. Another major distinguishing characteristic is that spiders have two main body parts; the cephalothorax, which is the head and thorax combined, and the abdomen. Insects have three distinct body parts; head, thorax and abdomen. Another difference is that spiders unlike insects do not have antennae. However, both spiders and insects are classified as arthropods, which is the largest animal group in the world.

What do spiders eat? Unlike insects which feed on plants, most spiders are carnivorous and feed on insects. However, the Bagheera Kiplingi, a spider found in Central America is a one of a kind spider as it is the only known spider species that is herbivorous. The insects spiders feed on include mosquitoes, moths, crickets, wasps, cockroaches, ants, dragon flies and houseflies to name a few. Spiders also eat spiders. A female spider will quite often devour the male spider right after mating. The reason for this is that the female is usually larger than the male spider, making the male easy prey for the female. Young spiders will quite often eat each other. Larger species of spiders will even eat small mammals. It is also not uncommon for spiders to eat their own silk. They do this either to replenish the protein the lost while making the silk or to recycle the silk to make a new web when they are moving.

Even as we answer the question ‘what do spiders eat?' it is also important to answer the question ‘what animals eat spiders?' Besides being cannibals and eating each other, spiders are consumed by lizards, birds, beetles, frogs, fish, praying mantises and many small mammals. It is interesting to note that spiders eat wasps and wasps eat spiders! Human being can also be added to the list of spider predators as the spider species tarantula is a delicacy in certain parts of the world.

Spiders eat their prey in a rather interesting way. They cannot chew as they have no teeth or swallow as they have a very slim digestive tract which can only cope with liquids. Therefore, their food must be digested outside their bodies. The spider uses its fangs to inject poison into its prey, which paralyses it and turns its insides into fluid. The spider then drinks up the liquid.

Spiders do more good than harm.  Many people are afraid of spider because they think their venom is poisonous. Most spider bites are not harmful, and will not even turn you to Spiderman. Many of the insects spiders eat are harmful and in this way making them very useful in controlling the irritating pest populations.