Spider vs. Tarantula — What's the Difference?

A small to moderately large arachnid that produces silk.

Lives in burrows and does not spin webs to catch prey.

Known for their eight legs and ability to produce venom.

Popular as exotic pets due to their docile nature.

Often misunderstood and feared.

A type of large, hairy spider known for its size.

Found in a wide range of habitats.

Possesses urticating hairs as a defense mechanism.

Many species are expert web builders.

Found in warmer climates.

Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms.

Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae (technically, spiders possess setae, not true hairs.) Currently, 1,010 species have been identified. The term tarantula is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas".

An eight-legged predatory arachnid with an unsegmented body consisting of a fused head and thorax and a rounded abdomen. Spiders have fangs which inject poison into their prey, and most kinds spin webs in which to capture insects.

A very large hairy spider found chiefly in tropical and subtropical America, some kinds of which are able to catch small lizards, frogs, and birds.

An object resembling a spider, especially one having numerous or prominent legs or radiating spokes.

A large black wolf spider of southern Europe, whose bite was formerly believed to cause tarantism.

Another term for crawler (sense 2)

Any of various large hairy spiders chiefly of the family Theraphosidae, capable of inflicting a bite that is painful but usually not dangerous to humans.

Move in a scuttling manner suggestive of a spider

A large wolf spider (Lycosa tarentula) of southern Europe, once thought to cause tarantism.

Another term for crawl (sense 4 of the verb)

Any of the large, hairy New World spiders comprising the family Theraphosidae.

Any of numerous arachnids of the order Araneae, having a body divided into a cephalothorax and an abdomen, eight legs, two chelicerae that bear venom glands, and two or more spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects.

(by extension) A member of certain other groups of spiders, generally characterized by large size, hairiness, or membership of infraorder Mygalomorphae to which Theraphosidae family also belongs.

One that resembles a spider, as in appearance, character, or movement.

(dated) A species of wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula, native to southern Europe, the mildly poisonous bite of which was once thought to cause an extreme urge to dance (tarantism).

A program that automatically retrieves webpages and follows the links on them to retrieve more webpages. Spiders are used by search engines to retrieve publicly accessible webpages for indexing, and they can also be used to check for links to webpages that no longer exist. Also called crawler, search bot.

Any one of several species of large spiders, popularly supposed to be very venomous, especially the European species (Tarantula apuliæ). The tarantulas of Texas and adjacent countries are large species of Mygale.

New England, Upper Northern, & South Atlantic US See frying pan.

Large southern European spider once thought to be the cause of tarantism (uncontrollable bodily movement)

A trivet.

Large hairy tropical spider that can inflict painful but not highly venomous bites

Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey.

A program which follows links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information.

A float drink made by mixing ice-cream and a soda or fizzy drink (such as lemonade).

An alcoholic drink made with brandy and lemonade or ginger beer.

(slang) A spindly person.

(slang) A man who persistently approaches or accosts a woman in a public social setting, particularly in a bar.

A stick with a convex arch-shaped notched head used to support the cue when the cue ball is out of reach at normal extension; a bridge.

A cast-iron frying pan with three legs, once common in open-hearth cookery.

(cooking) Implement for moving food in and out of hot oil for deep frying, with a circular metal mesh attached to a long handle; a spider skimmer

(cycling) A part of a crank, to which the chainrings are attached.

Heroin.

(music) Part of a resonator instrument that transmits string vibrations from the bridge to a resonator cone at multiple points.

A skeleton or frame with radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces, such as a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; or a frame for strengthening a core or mould for a casting.

A soft-hackle fly.

(sports) The network of wires separating the areas of a dartboard.

(maths) A spider graph or spider tree.

(obsolete) A type of light phaeton.

(photography) A support for a camera tripod, preventing it from sliding.

(lawn bowls) A competition in which several participants are spread evenly around the edges of the green, who all make one bowl towards the central jack at the same time; the winner being the person whose bowl ends up closest to the jack.

To move like a spider.

To cover a surface like a cobweb.

To follow links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information.

Any one of numerous species of arachnids comprising the order Araneina. Spiders have the mandibles converted into poison fangs, or falcers. The abdomen is large and not segmented, with two or three pairs of spinnerets near the end, by means of which they spin threads of silk to form cocoons, or nests, to protect their eggs and young. Many species spin also complex webs to entrap the insects upon which they prey. The eyes are usually eight in number (rarely six), and are situated on the back of the cephalothorax. See Illust. under Araneina.

Any one of various other arachnids resembling the true spiders, especially certain mites, as the red spider (see under Red).

An iron pan with a long handle, used as a kitchen utensil in frying food. Originally, it had long legs, and was used over coals on the hearth.

A trevet to support pans or pots over a fire.

A skeleton, or frame, having radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces; as, a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; a frame for strengthening a core or mold for a casting, etc.

Predatory arachnid that usually has silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey

A computer program that prowls the internet looking for publicly accessible resources that can be added to a database; the database can then be searched with a search engine

A skillet made of cast iron

Yes, tarantulas are popular as pets for those interested in exotic animals due to their unique appearance and behavior.

Yes, all spiders have silk-producing glands, but they use silk in various ways, including web-building, creating shelters, or laying egg sacs.

The main difference is that tarantulas are a specific group of large, hairy spiders, while the term "spider" refers to a broader category of arachnids.

Spiders often use webs to catch prey, while tarantulas rely on hunting and overpowering their prey directly.

Urticating hairs are special hairs that some tarantulas have, which they can release to irritate the skin and eyes of predators.

Many people fear spiders and tarantulas due to their appearance, the way they move, and common phobias, although most are harmless.

Nearly all spiders are venomous to some extent, but most are harmless to humans.

Most tarantulas have venom that is harmless to humans, similar to a bee sting in terms of pain and effect.

Tarantulas reproduce through a mating ritual, after which the female lays eggs in a silk cocoon.

Spiders are adaptable and can be found in nearly every terrestrial habitat, from deserts to forests and even human dwellings.

Tarantulas typically prefer warm climates such as tropical, subtropical, and desert regions.

Yes, spiders are beneficial as they control insect populations, reducing pests in homes and gardens.

Tarantulas primarily eat insects, but larger species may also consume small mammals and reptiles.

Tarantulas can live for several decades, with females often living longer than males.

Tarantulas do not use webs for hunting because they are ground-dwelling hunters that use stealth and strength to capture prey.