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Story: Spiders and other arachnids

Orb-web spider

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Orb-web spider

Orb-web spiders crush their silk-wrapped prey, then bathe the tissues in digestive fluid before sucking up the partially digested nutrients. When it has finished feeding, only the indigestible parts of the prey remain.

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Private collection

by Simon Pollard

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Simon Pollard, Spiders and other arachnids – Araneomorphs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12716/orb-web-spider (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Simon Pollard, published 1 March 2009.