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, allowi ...

). Arachnids include

spiders Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, 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 dive ...

scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

, and

mites Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

(including

ticks Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

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 Thailand zebra leg tarantula (also ''Thailand black velvet tarantula'' or ''Thailand earth tiger''), is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. ...

'') which is sold fried as traditional snack in

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

; * 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 form ...

''); *

Goliath birdeater The Goliath birdeater (''Theraphosa blondi'') belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass () and body length (up to ), and second to the giant huntsman spider by l ...

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

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 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 Araneidae, formerly placed in the genus ''Nephila''. It is referred to the common name Australian golden orb weaver. It is found in Indonesia from Java eastwards, Papua New Gui ...

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

Scorpions

Fried scorpion is traditionally eaten in

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

, China.

Mites

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

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges 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 production, ...

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. Descrip ...

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

! {{food-stub