Talk:Spider anatomy

Image depicting external anatomy
While on the subject of incorrect labels in pictures, it would be great if we could change the picture representing external anatomy because it labels the mouthparts as "mandibles" instead of "chelicerae" which really doesn't work for a member of a group whose nominal feature is the presence of chelicerae (i.e. Chelicerata). ArachnoGBH (talk) 22:02, 14 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Seconded. I just got a complaint about this and have no idea how to edit the image. Danger High voltage! 02:30, 4 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Disappointing that this mislabelling was present for almost six years, but I have now replaced the image. Peter coxhead (talk) 14:43, 10 May 2017 (UTC)

Image depicting internal anatomy
Hello. The image's designations contain two flaws. Namely, the "poison gland" and the "poison canal". Usage of the term "poison" in reference to spiders should be avoided, as it is technically incorrect. The correct term is "venom", so the respective designations would be "venom gland" and "venom canal". I've just been curious and looked up some alternative images depicting a spider's anatomy and most of those I've found online in a minute contain the same error... :) Zero Thrust (talk) 13:04, 12 February 2010 (UTC)
 * I believe 'poisonous spider' would mean 'it would make you ill if you ate it' - is that the distinction ? --195.137.93.171 (talk) 22:14, 30 June 2011 (UTC)

Pedicel not pedicle, on abdomen not CT
I can't find any official usage of the spelling "pedicle" for the pedicel of a spider. The new Spiders of North America identification manual, produced by the American Arachnological Society, spells it pedicel.

Also, Foelix's Biolog of Spiders, considered the classic text on spider biology and still used as a textbook in universities, says that the pedicel is the first of 12 abdominal segments. It is not part of the cephalothorax as the article indicates. I'd be curious to see a reference saying otherwise.

I haven't reviewed anything else on this page. (Joe Lapp aka "Spider Joe" - 7 March 2010) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.172.111.217 (talk) 01:38, 8 March 2010 (UTC)


 * "Pedicle" certainly was used in the early 20th century and I don't know how long before. You can find it in the Cambridge natural history for one authoritative example. (Vol 4, I think) "Pedicel" seems to be the currently dominant usage, for which reason I recommend it, but exactly what counts as "official", I'd hate to guess. As for the pedicel being part of either the prosoma or the opisthosoma, I don't believe that the argument means a blind thing. I suspect that idea is based on the situation in the Hymenoptera, in which the petiole really comprises a segment or two of the abdomen. I would not accept that in spiders it is anything but a boundary region between segments or if it is a true segment, that it is more clearly prosoma than opisthosoma until someone can show me strong embryological evidence, and that goes for what textbooks say too. Oh, and BTW, belatedly, Hi Joe! JonRichfield (talk) 18:09, 6 September 2014 (UTC)

File:Spider internal anatomy-en.svg to appear as POTD soon
Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that File:Spider internal anatomy-en.svg will be appearing as picture of the day on December 13, 2010. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2010-12-13. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks!  howcheng  {chat} 17:57, 9 December 2010 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 06:42, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

What structures produce suction?
The article mentions that spiders suck their liquid food out of their prey. But this leaves a giant unanswered question in the article. Producing suction means the animal must be able to produce negative pressure. Mammals use their diaphragm for this. How do spiders do it? I didn’t see the answer in the anatomy section. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1007:B02E:E6F7:10E2:12D9:D5DB:B914 (talk) 11:04, 3 October 2021 (UTC)