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Why do spiders have 8 eyes?

Deetee

Illuminator
Deetee
Joined
Jul 8, 2003
Messages
3,789
Just wondering...
What are the possible evolutionary reasons/benefits? Is there a specific different function for some of these?
Most (if not all) seem to be on the front of the head and primed for binocular vision, but how many does a spider need before redundancy creeps in?
 
Because it makes them even more creepy than they already are, cementing their place as the creepiest creatures on the planet. Brrr!
 
Ipecac said:
Because it makes them even more creepy than they already are, cementing their place as the creepiest creatures on the planet. Brrr!
Click to expand...

I forget to mention Ipecac, there's a spider in behind you.
 
Ipecac said:
Because it makes them even more creepy than they already are, cementing their place as the creepiest creatures on the planet. Brrr!
Click to expand...

in addition to the original post I find this point very interesting as well. Why does it seem people are disproportionately creeped out by spiders the most of any bug (I'm using bug in the general, slang sense)? They don't bother me in the least.

3" long NYC cockroaches on the other hand...run for the hills!
 
HarryKeogh said:
in addition to the original post I find this point very interesting as well. Why does it seem people are disproportionately creeped out by spiders the most of any bug (I'm using bug in the general, slang sense)? They don't bother me in the least.

3" long NYC cockroaches on the other hand...run for the hills!
Click to expand...

Wild guess, would be how you or people around you reacted first time you encountered them.
 
HarryKeogh said:
in addition to the original post I find this point very interesting as well. Why does it seem people are disproportionately creeped out by spiders the most of any bug (I'm using bug in the general, slang sense)? They don't bother me in the least.

3" long NYC cockroaches on the other hand...run for the hills!
Click to expand...

Texas and Florida cockroaches eat 3" cockroaches for breakfast.
 
When it comes to my responses to bugs, here's the list, biggest adverse reactions first:

1) Swarms of flying, stinging insects.
2) Crawling swarms, regardless of species.
3) Large crawling bugs, such as cockroaches (slow-moving spiders not included.)
4) Individual flying, stinging insects.
5) Big spiders, except when very well contained.
6) Swarms of non-crawling, non-biting, non-stinging insects.
7) Fast-moving spiders
8) Very-well contained big spiders
9) Mosquitos
10) Individual flies, gnats, etc.
11) Individual crickets, grasshoppers, and small crawlers.

Any insect that lands on my skin moves up two or more levels for the encounter. Note on mosquitos: I actively engage in hunting them when indoors, since I know that if I don't, I'll wake up in the morning with very itchy toes.
 
Jorghnassen said:
Neat page, but their claim that giant squids are about 180 feet long is dubious...
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My understanding leads me to believe that 60 feet is about as large as they get.

That site also has a ID agenda. Certainly an anti-evolution agenda. Check out their 'controversy' link near the very bottom.
 
Rob Lister said:
My understanding leads me to believe that 60 feet is about as large as they get.

That site also has a ID agenda. Certainly an anti-evolution agenda. Check out their 'controversy' link near the very bottom.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought something looked fishy, with the "design" part of the title. Chapter 6 is a big give away...
 
Rob Lister said:
My understanding leads me to believe that 60 feet is about as large as they get.

That site also has a ID agenda. Certainly an anti-evolution agenda. Check out their 'controversy' link near the very bottom.
Click to expand...

I had a had feeling it might be an ID site, but it had a good description of spider eyes. So, I let it pass.
 
IllegalArgument said:
I had a had feeling it might be an ID site, but it had a good description of spider eyes. So, I let it pass.
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As well you should. It was a cool site.
 
60 feet? Didn't you see 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea?

I suspect that spiders have a number of eyes distributed about the head because unlike insects, the eyes are not compound.

Eight fixed eyes should give the little predators good all-round vision. And the very devil of a time finding specs to fit.
 
It you believe in evolution, then spiders have eight eyes because they did better then spiders with seven eyes ?

If you believe in Intelligence Design then because GOD so, said and STOP ASKING QUESTION!!!! How dare you question GOD!
 
My guess it is related to their 8 legs. Whatever gene(s) cause 8 legs also caused 8 eyes. All the legs and all the eyes are on the same part of the body (Cephalothorax the front of the two body sections). I could easily be wrong but it's my hypothesis.

I imagine that someone has done some research on spiders with fewer or more legs. I predict that if this has been done, the number of eyes match the number of legs.

I will do some quick search to see if I can find this.

CBL
 
HarryKeogh said:
in addition to the original post I find this point very interesting as well. Why does it seem people are disproportionately creeped out by spiders the most of any bug (I'm using bug in the general, slang sense)? They don't bother me in the least.

3" long NYC cockroaches on the other hand...run for the hills!
Click to expand...

We don't have many of those here. Perhaps because of the 3" wide Giant House Spiders: http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/spiders/giant.html

Occasionally one (or one of its smaller cousins, like the Hobo Spider) will take up residence on the den ceiling. We then call it "Fred" our pet spider.

Once in a while a kid will get freaked out by one (usually if it is on the wall above their bed). That's when I get out the vacuum cleaner and suck it up (and that is a good opportunity to clear up some cob-webs in the corners).
 
i like big spiders well enough, but i don't like little itsy teeny tiny ones unless i have Vera, my handy flame thrower, well, handy.
 
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