Spiders / Sanye'ye' and Payu'ak
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Spiders / Sanye'ye' and Payu'ak
Many people think spiders are insects, but they are arachnids. Instead of an insect's three main body parts and three pairs of legs, spiders have two main body parts, the head-thorax and the abdomen, and eight legs. Arachnids have large hollow fangs with venom glands. The venom mixed with digestive juices is injected into the bodies of their prey. This kills the prey and turns their insides into a liquid that can be sucked out. Although none of Guam's spiders has a dangerous bite, the bite of some can cause a painful, itchy welt that takes several days to heal. Female spiders have silk glands at the end of their abdomen. The silk is used to build webs, wrap prey, and make egg cases.
There are about thirty kinds of spiders on Guam. Many are believed to have been introduced to our island by people. Spiders that build webs are called "sanye'ye'" in Chamoru, while those that do not are called "payu'ak." Web builders live on their webs and wait for insects and other small animals to be trapped. The beautiful garden spider is a welcomed resident of gardens because it traps crop-damaging insects in its web. Females of some web-builders try to eat the male after they have mated. The huntsman spider, which does not build a web, has a hairy body and is common in ranch houses. It hunts insects at night. Females carry the eggs in a silk case beneath the abdomen. Crab spiders are another group that resemble flowers in order to ambush their prey. All spiders on Guam are beneficial to humans because of their ability to trap insects that may be harmful to crops or people.
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
