How Long Do Spiders Live

Imagine living for over 40 years. It’s not that hard—humans do it all the time, right? Now, picture doing it as a spider, spending nearly every day in the same burrow, catching prey, and avoiding predators. Now that becomes quite the extraordinary feat, doesn’t it? Well, that’s exactly what Number 16, a female trapdoor spider from the Australian outback, achieved—living a record-breaking 43 years. Her death in 2016 marked an incredible milestone when it comes to the lifespan of spider-dom.

Who Was Number 16?

Number 16 was no ordinary spider. She was the oldest known spider in the world, living nearly half a century in Western Australia. She was a trapdoor spider, a species known for its sedentary lifestyle and ability to create elaborate, camouflaged burrows. Unlike many spiders that lead a more mobile life, trapdoor spiders are reclusive creatures. Number 16 spent much of her life in her burrow, only emerging to hunt or mate. Her solitary existence allowed her to thrive in a harsh environment where food was scarce, and predators were ever-present. It’s an impressive survival strategy that contributed to her record-breaking age.

Most spiders live for just a few years, and even species that live longer typically max out around 10 to 15 years. But Number 16 defied the odds, and her longevity offers valuable insights into the life cycle of trapdoor spiders and the factors that contribute to their impressive lifespans.

Thanks to predators like wasps, mantispid lacewings, and flies for helping us keep a spider pest problem down, as they enjoy eating spider larvae, a highly nutritious food for them.

It wasn’t old age that claimed Number 16’s life—it was a brutal attack by a parasitic wasp. This wasp found Number 16’s burrow and laid its eggs on her body. As the larvae hatched, they fed on the spider from the inside out, ultimately leading to her death.

This tragic end highlights the delicate nature of life in the wild, where even the oldest and most resilient creatures can fall victim to predators..

Hunting wasps like paper wasps, mud daubers, and cicada killers also LOVE to munch on spiders. Usually, they’re known to lay eggs onto the spider’s abdomen just like what happened to Number 16.

Just imagine that a praying mantis and a wasp had a baby—that’s what a mantis fly looks like. Mantispids or mantis flies are known to prey on spiders’ egg sacs. Typically, they’ll pierce the sac then suck through a tube made up by their mandibles and maxillae.

Mantispids tend to lay their eggs on the bark of a tree. When the larvae hatch, they’ll disperse into the crevices seeking a delicious spider egg snack.

Vampire flies drink spider blood and chow down on spider eggs. These creepy-looking pests look like wasps, but their legs are raptorial—resembling those of a praying mantis. Though they have six legs, the front pair is modified for hunting; it is designed for catching and holding insects. These flies also feed on nectar and tree sap.

Humans. While, yes, humans kill spiders out of fear or necessity, the biggest impact to these creatures comes from “progress”. As we build infrastructures, we tear down habitats and destroy ecosystems. Preserving natural landscape, creating sustainable design, and using eco-friendly materials are some ways to avoid destroying the ecosystem around us.

Very few people want to live among spiders—that’s why Kapture is here—but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ethical and intentional when it comes to pest prevention and maintenance.

If you want to know how long spiders live, you may want to consider what could wreak havoc on their health. Like humans, spiders can suffer from illnesses, fungal infections, diseases, mite infestations, and worms.

Sometimes, spiders will chow down on another animal with a disease, like an ill grasshopper. In this case, they’ll get infected right away and often die soon after.

Mermethid nematode worms are a prime example. These internal parasites will attack a spider, eat the non-vital tissue, and weaken (but not kill) it. Interestingly enough, the worm must find soil or water to complete its lifecycle. When it’s ready to retire from its dying host, the worm will make the spider seek out water (yes, they can use a form of “mind control”!) to emerge, lay their eggs, and complete the lifecycle.

Like Spiderman, spiders must be very cautious and practice their innate skills when enemies are near, one being autonomy—and we’re not talking about deciding what they want for dinner.

Say a bird grabs a spider’s leg and won’t let go. Now what? Autonomy is the spider’s ability to self-amputate. So…the spider will break its own leg off close to the body to escape its predator. Wild, right? What’s even more astonishing is that younger spiders can regenerate their legs!

The lifespan of a spider can be protected using other survival strategies like direct threat displays. Some spiders can change the color of their body, like red—a classic danger sign—to warn off predators. Some play dead, and others drop away on their silk dragline.

Though Number 16’s life was cut short, her legacy lives on. She is a symbol of resilience and points to the untold stories of creatures that inhabit our planet. Her record-breaking spider lifespan opened doors to deeper studies about arachnid longevity and the survival mechanisms of spiders.

She is an example of surviving in the stressful life of a spider. They must fight for their lives in every situation, from avoiding predators to munching on the wrong food. But the truth is ,these little eight-legged creatures are pretty resourceful.

And sometimes a little too much in your space. If you are having a spider problem that is too big for you to handle on your own, OR you simply want to prevent one in the future, contact us for an affordable pest control solution. We can take care of your pest maintenance and protect the important natural habitats of the creatures around you.

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