# Flying Aarachnids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 11, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451 "2003-05-11T04:55:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aestasete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@aestasete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aestasete)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/1 "2003-05-11T04:55:16Z")
Based on my nightmare last night, and a long history of Arachnophobia, I need to ask: Are there any spiders with wings? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/2 "2003-05-11T04:58:11Z")
Nope. Among arthropods, I think flight is unique to the Insecta ( though considering how enormous that group is, said uniqueness is a bit less impressive ). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/3 "2003-05-11T05:02:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tamerlane \* > Nope. Among arthropods, I think flight is unique to the Insecta ( though considering how enormous that group is, said uniqueness is a bit less impressive ). Though I might add that flight may account for some of the enormous success of that group, thereby reinflating the impressiveness ;). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/4 "2003-05-11T05:16:48Z")
However, they do not need wings to float around: Let us hope spiders do not evolve to do more than just ballooning: [http://www.geocities.com/brisbane\_spiders/ScientificPage.htm](http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_spiders/ScientificPage.htm) > [@](#): > > Ballooning - most young spiders distributed by ballooning. When the young spiders grow strong enough to leave their mother, they hold a short length of silk and wait for the wind. When there is the wind, because of their light weight, the wind carry them to the sky as someone holding a big balloon in air. The highest record of animals in the sky is not the flying bird nor the flying insect. It is the ballooning spider. uh oh… welcome to the boards, **aestasete**. I hope that info does not disturb your future dreams! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aestasete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@aestasete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aestasete)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/5 "2003-05-11T18:03:00Z")
Thanks to all for the replies, I will be able to sleep again, but after reading about the ballooning thing, I may never go outside. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/6 "2003-05-11T18:19:27Z")
This Staff Report will put your mind at ease: [Does the average person consume four spiders per year in his sleep?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspidereat.html) > [@](#): > > At that point, you can have hundreds of microscopic spiders, a millimeter long or less, leaping into the air in a short time span (under an hour total) and trying to ride the air currents to freedom. This is as known as “ballooning”; you may remember it from Charlotte’s Web. If you’re in a house where a bunch of microscopic spiders are ballooning around, you MIGHT accidentally inhale about a dozen one night, IF the air were circulating sufficiently for them to get airborne and stay there long enough to drift in front of your face. ---
**Author:** ![aestasete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@aestasete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aestasete)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/7 "2003-05-11T19:31:15Z")
Great, now I’ve gotta sleep with a ballgag:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/8 "2003-05-11T20:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aestasete \* > Great, now I’ve gotta sleep with a ballgag:eek: And by doing that, you’re going to fit in just fine around here! Welcome aboard(s) **aestasete**. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-aarachnids/174451/9 "2003-05-11T21:59:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aestasete \* > \*\*Great, now I’ve gotta sleep with a ballgag:eek: \*\* That might work, but won’t keep them from going up your nose. GAH!