Spider, (order Araneida or Araneae), any of more than 46,700 species of arachnids that differ from insects in having eight legs rather than six and in having the body divided into two parts rather than three. The use of silk is highly developed among spiders. Spider behaviour and appearance are diverse, and the araneids outside Europe, Japan, and North America have not been thoroughly collected and studied.

lynx spider Lynx spider (Peucetia viridans). Jack Dermid

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Witness an orb-weaving spider using silk wrappings to immobilize grasshopper prey A black-and-yellow argiope (Argiope aurantia) capturing a grasshopper in its orb web. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. See all videos for this article

All spiders are predators, feeding almost entirely on other arthropods, especially insects. Some spiders are active hunters that chase and overpower their prey. These typically have a well-developed sense of touch or sight. Other spiders instead weave silk snares, or webs, to capture prey. Webs are instinctively constructed and effectively trap flying insects. Many spiders inject venom into their prey to kill it quickly, whereas others first use silk wrappings to immobilize their victims.