Some arachnids may be used for human consumption (edible arachnids), either whole or as an ingredient in processed food products such as cheese (

Milbenkäse Milbenkäse ("mite cheese"), called Mellnkase in the local dialect and often known as Spinnenkäse ("spider cheese"), is a German speciality cheese. It is made by flavouring balls of quark (a type of soft cheese) with caraway and salt, allowin ...

). Arachnids include

spiders Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species di ...

scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

, and

mites Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

(including

ticks Ticks are parasitic arachnids of the order Ixodida. They are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, and species, but can become larger when engorged. Ticks a ...

Spiders

About 15 species of spiders are scientifically described as being edible, with a history of human consumption. These edible spiders include: * Thailand zebra leg tarantula (''

Cyriopagopus albostriatus ''Cyriopagopus albostriatus'', commonly known as zebra leg tarantula is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. Name Its name comes from the Latin prefix ''albo'', meaning white, and the Latin ...

'') which is sold fried as traditional snack in

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

and

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

; * Thailand Black (''

Cyriopagopus minax ''Cyriopagopus'' is a genus of southeast Asian tarantulas found from Myanmar to the Philippines. , the genus includes species formerly placed in ''Haplopelma''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887. Description The species for ...

''); *

Goliath birdeater The Goliath birdeater (''Theraphosa blondi'') belongs to the tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" ...

(''Theraphosa blondi''); * several other species of

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

; * the golden orb-weaving spider (''

Trichonephila edulis ''Trichonephila edulis'' is a species of large spider of the family Nephilidae, formerly placed in the genus '' Nephila''. It is referred to by the common name Australian golden orb weaver. It is found in Indonesia from Java eastwards, Papua Ne ...

'') that is eaten in New Caledonia and is said to taste like pâté.

Scorpions

Fried scorpion is traditionally eaten in

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

, China.

Mites

(''mite cheese'') is a German speciality

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

Mimolette Mimolette () is a cheese traditionally produced around the city of Lille, France. In France it is also known as ''Boule de Lille'' after its city of origin, or ''vieux Hollande'' because it was originally inspired by the Dutch Edam cheese. Descr ...

is a mite cheese traditionally produced around the city of Lille, France. Cheese mites could cause an allergic reaction if consumed in large quantities (above the standard of six mites per cubic inch).

Processing

Typical processing of arachnids as food includes heating, defanging and, in certain cases, drying and grinding.

Footnotes

External links

! Types of food {{food-stub