How Many Eyes Does a Spider Have?

Spiders typically have eight eyes, although some species may have fewer. The number and arrangement of eyes can be a distinguishing feature among different spider families. For example, the jumping spiders of family Salticidae have incredible eyesight and can perceive the full spectrum of color and discern fine details. They characteristically have two large, forward-facing eyes, then two smaller eyes next to these. The remaining four eyes are typically situated around the crest of the head and serve as motion detectors. Wolf spiders of the family Lycosidae have three rows of eyes with the largest pair in the middle row. The common garden spider (Araneus diadematus) has four small eyes arranged in a square near its mouth, and two more pairs on either side of its head. Spiders with six eyes include the venomous brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) and the woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocatahas). Most members of the unusual family Caponiidae have only two eyes, and some cave-dwelling spiders have no eyes at all.