St. Louis, MO
Halloween is here and we have been seeing a lot of spiders. At British Swim School we know about spiders. Our youngest swimmers do the “Big, Big Spider” in every class as they move from the instructor back to their parents using the alternating arm motions of swimming.
But we didn’t know that there are spiders who are aquatic. A variety of spiders are adapted for life on and around water. Several have the ability to run across the water’s surface. Below are two of our most common types of aquatic spiders.
The spotted fishing spider lives in aquatic habitats and can run across the surface of water. This spider runs quickly. They wait for prey to come near; then they pounce on the prey, bite it, and eat it. Fishing spiders mostly eat aquatic insects, but they can also feel the struggling vibrations of terrestrial or flying insects when they fall accidentally in the water. Then, they run across the water to snatch the insect. A spider in this group can encase its body in an air bubble in order to submerge itself, often for several minutes.
Longjawed orbweavers spin circular webs that are usually positioned fairly horizontally within a few feet of the water’s surface making them perfect nets for catching aquatic insects that have just emerged in their winged adult forms. When not in their web, many longjawed orbweavers hide under branches, railings, or other sheltered locations nearby. If they are startled, they typically drop immediately down. If they fall into the water, they can run across the surface like fishing spiders do.
You might have heard of a “diving bell spider” that spends its “whole life” underwater. It weaves silk webs underwater that hold bubbles of air that the spider uses to breathe for long periods of time while under water.
Wouldn’t it would be wonderful if humans could “run” across the water or encase themselves in air bubbles. But then we might have eight legs, eat bugs and look like spiders…Instead we need to learn to float on our backs, to swim and to hold our breath –
British Swim School St. Louis offers premium water survival and swimming lessons for infants, toddlers, children and adults, starting at just 3 months old. We proudly serve the St. Louis communities of Afton, Ballwin, Brentwood, Chesterfield, Clayton, Concord, Crestwood, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, Eureka, Fenton, High Ridge, Howell Island, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lake St. Louis, Manchester, Maplewood, Maryland Heights, New Town, Olivette, Overland, Richmond Heights, St. Charles, Orchard Farm, St. Paul, St. Peters, Sunset Hills, Town and Country, Valley Park, Webster Groves, Weldon Springs, and Wildwood. Call 314-312-1878 to enroll or find a class online.
