What Is a Group of Spiders Called?
Most spiders want nothing to do with each other — which makes the rare exceptions all the more interesting.
Quick answer: A group of spiders is most commonly called a cluster of spiders. You’ll also see clutter in some collective-noun lists — but true group living is unusual for spiders, so both terms describe a fairly rare sight in nature.
What Is a Group of Spiders Called?
A group of spiders is typically called a cluster, a straightforward, descriptive term rather than one steeped in centuries of hunting tradition — spiders were rarely, if ever, quarry for medieval falconers, so they missed out on the ornate collective nouns coined for birds and mammals. Clutter is a less common alternate that shows up in some references.
Do Spiders Actually Live in Groups?
Almost never. The vast majority of the roughly 50,000 known spider species are strictly solitary and even cannibalistic toward their own kind outside of mating — two spiders sharing space is more often a sign of a coming meal than cooperation. There are a small number of genuine exceptions, though: a handful of species, including some in the genus Anelosimus, are truly social spiders that build shared communal webs and cooperatively hunt and raise young in colonies that can number in the thousands. These colonies are the closest thing to a real “cluster” you’ll find in the wild.
Spider Facts
- There are more than 50,000 known spider species worldwide, with likely thousands more undescribed.
- Nearly all spiders produce silk, but not all spin webs — many are active hunters that stalk or ambush prey instead.
- Social spider species, though rare, can form communal webs housing hundreds to thousands of individuals, cooperatively subduing prey too large for one spider alone.
- Outside of true social species, most spiders are aggressively territorial and will attack and eat other spiders that wander too close.
- Spiderlings often disperse from their hatching site via “ballooning” — releasing a strand of silk that catches the wind and carries them, sometimes for miles.
Examples in a Sentence
“A cluster of newly hatched spiderlings clung together on the web before ballooning away.”
“Researchers studied a rare social spider colony where thousands worked a single communal web.”
Other Names for a Group of Spiders
Cluster is the term most commonly cited for a group of spiders. Clutter appears occasionally as an alternate. Because true group-living is so rare among spiders, neither term describes a common, everyday sighting the way “flock” or “herd” does for more social animals.
Test Your Knowledge
1. What is a group of spiders most commonly called?
- Cluster
- Colony (always)
- Swarm
- Pack
2. Are most spiders social animals?
- Yes, nearly all live in groups
- No, most are solitary and even cannibalistic toward each other
- Only in winter
- Only as spiderlings
3. How do spiderlings often disperse to new areas?
- Walking long distances
- Riding on larger animals
- Ballooning on silk threads carried by wind
- They don’t disperse
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of spiders called?
A group of spiders is called a cluster. Clutter is a less common alternate.
Do spiders live in groups?
Most spiders are solitary and even cannibalistic toward each other. A small number of true social species build communal webs and live in colonies of hundreds to thousands.
What is a social spider?
A social spider is one of a small number of species, including some in the genus Anelosimus, that cooperatively build shared webs and hunt and raise young together in colonies.
How many spider species are there?
There are more than 50,000 known spider species worldwide, with likely thousands more undescribed.
What is spider ballooning?
Ballooning is when spiderlings release a strand of silk that catches the wind, carrying them away from their hatching site, sometimes for miles.