Spider Vocals

vipes · #1 (**permalink**) 29-08-2009, 07:53 PM

Are Spiders, any species of Spider, vocally active?

Can they chirp, or make sounds with vocal cords?

No.9 Spider · #2 (**permalink**) 29-08-2009, 09:32 PM

Not vocally as in via or coming out of the mouth, though some have stridulating organs whereby they are able to create a sound by, as Foelix describes "moving a scraper over a file".
Most spider communication is via pheromones and chemoreceptors though vibrating of body parts and drumming of legs are common, particularly during courtship.
Some stridulatory organs consist of ridges on, for example the rear of the carapace which can be scraped by spines on the opposing surface of the abdomen. the spider has to vibrate the abdomen vertically to achieve the sound. A mature male Steatoda bipunctata does this.
I think also that stridulating organs can also be found at the front of some species, (probably thinking Theraphosidae here) consisting of ridges on the side of the chelicerae and an opposing surface on the inside edge of the palps.

No.9 Spider

Venger · #3 (**permalink**) 29-08-2009, 09:33 PM

No, though they can create noises by rubbing various areas of their bodies (though I doubt that we'd hear it.)

(Same time post Carl - though yours has more info )