CheliceraeThe chelicerae: the mouthparts at the front, which end in the fangs.
CephalothoraxThe cephalothorax: the front section, head and chest in one. The eyes, mouthparts and legs are all joined to it.
LegsThe legs: eight, each with seven segments, all joined to the cephalothorax.
AbdomenThe big rear section. The heart, the silk glands and the book lungs are inside.
SpinneretsSmall nozzles at the tip of the abdomen that let out silk.
From above: 7 3
EyesMost spiders have eight. They are in rows at the front of the head end.
PedipalpsShort limbs in front of the legs. They are used to feel and to hold food. Also called palps. Spiders have no antennae.
PedicelThe thin waist that joins the two body sections. It lets the abdomen move while the spider spins.
From below: 3 2
FangsThe fangs, at the tips of the chelicerae. Most spiders inject venom through them.
Book lungsBreathing organs under the front of the abdomen. They are made of thin folds stacked like the pages of a book.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Spider anatomy, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_anatomy : two body sections, eight jointed legs, no wings or antennae, chelicerae and pedipalps, simple eyes; venom injected through the fangs of the chelicerae; the eyes, chelicerae, pedipalps and legs are all attached to the cephalothorax (prosoma); the pedipalps are the pair of appendages in front of the legs; legs have seven segments; most spiders have eight eyes; the thin flexible pedicel joins the cephalothorax to the abdomen (opisthosoma) and lets the abdomen move to spin silk; book lungs open on the underside of the abdomen; the spinnerets, usually three pairs, sit at the rear. (2) OpenStax, Biology 2e, section 28.6, https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/28-6-superphylum-ecdysozoa-arthropods : chelicerates have two body sections, the prosoma or cephalothorax and the opisthosoma or abdomen; no antennae; the pedipalps sense and handle food; in spiders the chelicerae end in fangs that inject venom; arachnids breathe with book lungs, stacked like the pages of a book. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
These are the parts of a spider for kids: first from above, then turned over to see underneath. Start with the 5 main parts.
Read the full guide
Two body parts
A spider's body has two sections. The front one, the cephalothorax, carries the eyes, the mouthparts and all eight legs. A thin waist, the pedicel, joins it to the big abdomen behind.
Turn it over
Underneath, the chelicerae end in fangs. At the front of the abdomen are the book lungs, which the spider breathes through, and at its tip are the spinnerets, where the silk comes out.
Count to tell a spider from an insect: a spider has 8 legs and 2 body sections; an insect has 6 legs and 3.
Questions and answers
Is a spider an insect?
No. Spiders are arachnids. They have eight legs, two body sections and no antennae or wings; insects have six legs and three body sections.
Where does a spider's silk come from?
From the spinnerets, small nozzles at the tip of the abdomen. The thin waist lets the spider move its abdomen to spin without moving the rest of its body.
How many eyes does a spider have?
Most spiders have eight eyes, in rows at the front of the cephalothorax. Some kinds have six, four, two, or none at all.