science

Glossary of spider terms

Glossary of spider terms is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Glossary of spider terms rather than just read about it. In short: This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids. Links within the glossary are shown in this style.

Key takeaways

Glossary of spider terms belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Glossary of spider terms to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Glossary of spider terms from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids. Links within the glossary are shown in this style.

Terms

Abdomen or opisthosoma: One of the two main body parts (tagmata), located towards the posterior end; see also Abdomen § Other animals Accessory claw: Modified setae at the tip of the tarsus in web-building spiders; used with tarsal claws to grip strands of the web Anal tubercle: A small protuberance (tubercule) above the spinnerets through which the anus opens Apodeme: see sigillum Apophysis (plural apophyses): An outgrowth or process changing the general shape of a body part, particularly the appendages; often used in describing the male pedipalp: see retrolateral tibial apophysis Atrium (plural atria): An internal chamber at the entrance to the copulation duct in female haplogyne spiders

B Bidentate: Having two teeth Book lungs: Respiratory organs on the ventral side (underside) of the abdomen, in front of the epigastric furrow, opening through narrow slits; see also Book lungs Branchial operculum: see operculum Bulbus: see palpal bulb

C Calamistrum (plural calamistra): Modified setae (bristles) on the metatarsus of the fourth leg of spiders with a cribellum, arranged in one or more rows or in an oval shape, used to comb silk produced by the cribellum; see also Calamistrum Caput (plural capita): see cephalic region Carapace: A hardened plate (sclerite) covering the upper (dorsal) portion of the cephalothorax; see also Carapace Carpoblem: The principal tibial apophysis on the male pedipalp; also just called the tibial apophysis Cephalic region or caput: The front part of the cephalothorax, separated from the thoracic region by the cervical groove Cephalothorax or prosoma: One of the two main body parts (tagmata), located towards the anterior end, composed of the head (cephalic region or caput) and the thorax (thoracic region), the two regions being separated by the cervical groove; covered by the carapace and bearing the eyes, legs, pedipalps and mouthparts Cervical groove: A shallow U-shaped groove, separating the cephalic and thoracic regions of the carapace Chelate: A description of a chelicera where the fang closes against a tooth-like process Chelicera (plural chelicerae): One of two appendages at the front of the carapace, made up of basal portion, the paturon, and the fang; sometimes called the jaw; see also Chelicerae Cheliceral furrow: A shallow groove on the basal portion of a chelicera accommodating the fang, usually having teeth on its margins Cheliceral tooth: A tooth-like extension on the margin of the cheliceral furrow Chilum: A small hardened plate (sclerite) at the base of the chelicerae, under the clypeus Claw: see tarsal claw Claw tuft: A dense group of hairs or bristles (setae) underneath the paired tarsal claws, usually well developed in hunting spiders

Clypeus: The area of the carapace between the anterior (frontmost) eyes and the anterior edge of the carapace Colulus: A short protuberance in the middle of the underside of the abdomen in front of the spinnerets, considered to be a modification of the cribellum Conductor: see palpal bulb Copulatory duct: An internal tube (duct) from the copulatory opening through which sperm enters the female; separate from the duct through which fertilized eggs pass in entelegyne spiders Copulatory opening: An opening in the ventral abdomen of female spiders; in entelegyne spiders, a double opening in the epigyne through which the embolus is inserted; in haplogyne spiders, a single opening through which male palpal bulb is inserted Coxa: see segments Crenulate: Having longitudinal ridges Cribellum: A sieve-like plate in front of the spinnerets, used in conjunction with the calamistrum; spiders with a cribellum are called cribellate, those without ecribellate; see also Cribellum Cuspule: A small spiny outgrowth ("wart") on the endites and labium of Mygalomorphae Cymbium (plural cymbia): The end part of the tarsus of the pedipalp in a mature male, usually hollowed out and bearing the palpal bulb

D Dionychous: With two claws on the tarsus of each leg; a feature of spiders in the clade Dionycha Dorsal groove: see fovea Dorsum: The upper (dorsal) portion or surface of the body or abdomen; the adjective dorsal may be applied to the upper portion or surface of any part of the body; see ventrum

E Ecribellate: see cribellum Embolus: see palpal bulb Endite: see maxilla Endosternite: An internal hardened plate (sclerite) Entelegyne: A spider whose female has an epigyne and separate ducts leading to spermathecae for sperm storage and to the uterus for fertilization, creating a "flow-through" system; see haplogyne; see also Entelegynae

Epigastric furrow or epigastric fold: A transverse slit towards the front (anterior) of underside of the abdomen; the front pair of book lungs open at the edge of this furrow as do the genital openings (gonopores) Epigyne or epigynum (plural epigynes): A hardened plate on the underside of the female abdomen in which the copulatory openings are located; only fully developed in mature females of entelegyne spiders; see also Epigyne Eyes: The basic number of eyes is eight, typically arranged in two rows (e.g. as in Gnaphosidae); the front row are the anterior eyes, the row behind the posterior eyes; the four eyes to the edges are the lateral eyes, the four eyes in the centre the median eyes; the anterior median eyes are called the main eyes or direct eyes, while the other eyes are called the secondary eyes or indirect eyes; the number of eyes, their sizes and arrangement varies widely and is characteristic of spider families; see main eye, secondary eye

F Falx (plural falces): A dated term for chelicera Fang: The final hinged part of the chelicera, normally folded down into a groove in the basal part of the chelicera; venom is injected via an opening near the tip of the fang Femur: see segments Fertilization duct: A duct in female entelegyne spiders leading from the spermathecae to the uterus

Folium: A broad leaf-like marking along the medial line of the top of the abdomen Fossa (plural fossae): A pit or depression, typically in the epigyne Fovea (also called thoracic furrow or dorsal groove): A depression or pit in the centre of the carapace of a spider marking an inward projection of the exoskeleton to which stomach muscles are attached

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Glossary of spider terms

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Glossary of spider terms claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Glossary of spider terms before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Glossary of spider terms ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Glossary of spider terms

In research: Glossary of spider terms appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Glossary of spider terms in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Glossary of spider terms is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arachnology, Glossaries of zoology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Glossary of spider terms outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Glossary of spider terms in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Glossary of spider terms means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Glossary of spider terms in simple terms?

This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids. Links within the glossary are shown in this style.

Why does Glossary of spider terms matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Glossary of spider terms?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Glossary of spider terms.