Spiderlings are miniature versions of adult spiders, often no larger than a pinhead when they first hatch. These tiny arachnids face the immediate challenge of securing nourishment for rapid growth and development. Their small size and undeveloped hunting skills mean their initial diet and food acquisition methods differ significantly from adults.
Early Diet and Survival
Spiderlings often begin life with internal food reserves, similar to a yolk sac, providing initial sustenance after hatching. While still within the egg sac, some spiderlings consume unfertilized eggs, a practice known as oophagy. This provides a readily available source of nutrients in their enclosed environment. In many species, cannibalism among siblings also occurs before dispersal, serving as a survival mechanism by reducing competition for resources. This early protein intake is crucial for their development and helps prepare them for independent life.
The Hunt for Micro-Insects
Once spiderlings disperse from their egg sacs, their diet primarily consists of very small insects and other tiny arthropods they can overpower. Common prey items include flightless fruit flies, pinhead crickets, springtails, and minute mites like thrips and spider mites. Gnats and aphids, often slow-moving and abundant, also form part of their diet. Some spiderlings, particularly tarantulas, may also scavenge on dead insects or small pieces of larger prey. As spiderlings grow and undergo successive molts, their increased size and strength allow them to tackle progressively larger prey.
How Spiderlings Catch Their Food
Spiderlings employ various hunting strategies, often scaled-down versions of their adult behaviors, to capture their prey. Web-building spiderlings, such as orb-weavers or cobweb spiders, construct miniature versions of their species-specific webs to ensnare tiny flying or crawling insects. Some early orb webs may feature specialized silk patches that help attract prey.
Active hunting spiderlings, like jumping spiders and wolf spiders, do not rely on webs. Jumping spiderlings use their exceptional vision to stalk and pounce on prey, often practicing precise leaps from a young age. They may also lay a silk dragline to secure themselves during a jump. Wolf spiderlings, known for their speed and agility, actively chase down and ambush small insects on the ground, utilizing their keen eyesight to locate prey.
Crab spiderlings are ambush predators, blending into their surroundings, often on flowers or leaves, and waiting patiently for unsuspecting insects. They use their long front legs to quickly seize prey, with some species able to change their body color for camouflage. Once prey is captured, spiderlings typically inject venom to paralyze it, then liquefy the internal tissues before consuming the fluid.