Monstrous appetite of spiders. Annually they eat approx. 400-800 million tons of insects

International teamół scientistsófrom the University of Basel and Lund University have conducted studies on the amount of food consumed by spiders. Researchers have calculated that weighing about 25 millionóin the tons of spider populationów annually devours between 400 and 800 millionóin tons of prey. In 90 percent of. food are insects. Only someóre larger spiders sometimes prey on frogs, small lizards, snakes or birds.

According to the agenda of the Organization of Nationalóin the United States. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, humanity annually consumes about 400 millionóin tons of meat and fish. All cetaceans swimming in the seas and oceans consume 250-500 millionów it food. But the spider’s appetiteów is much larger than cetaceans and humans.

There are more than 45,000 species on Earthóin the spiderów. In someór cases, their densities may exceed 1,000 individualóin per square meter. That makes a spideróIn one of the most numerous groups of predatorsóin asteroid. Their nocturnal lifestyle did not allow them to fully appreciate their role.

There is considerable scatter in the researchers’ calculations. Scientists explain this by the need to take into account róThe differences in ecosystems thatóre inhabited by spiders. Spiders regulate the insect population to a greater extent, they sayóin meadows and forests.

– Thanks to our calculations, we have shown for the first time that spiders are the mainóThe main culprits in reducing the population of the insectów. This is happening with the support of theócooperation with other insect predators – mrówkami or birds. Spiders have an extremely important impact on the maintenance of rów ecological balance – explained Martin Nyffeler of Lund University, who participated in the study.

The results of the researchers’ work were published in the journal "The Science of Nature".