Difference between Hair and Setae in tarantulas?

[YagerManJennsen]

Just wondering about any differences (if any) between Hair and Setae on tarantulas. No special science lesson just basic level stuff (cause it's late and my brain power is declining)

 

[magicmed]

I do believe the only difference is hair is soft, setae are hard or stiff.
Someone may correct me

 

[JumpingSpiderLady]

Pretty sure the hairs are called setae. Hair is just commonly accepted.

 

[Flexzone]

Chemically hair in mammals is principally composed of the protein keratin, while the principle components that make up arthropod setae is chitin, polysaccharide, resilin etc.. thus giving hair and setae very different chemical makeups.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Pretty sure the hairs are called setae. Hair is just commonly accepted.

Bingo. Only mammals have hair. For tarantulas, hair and setae are used interchangeably but setae is the correct term.

 

[EulersK]

Side note - not only tarantulas have setae. Almost all invertebrates have them, and many plants have them as well.

Convergent evolution is when the same problem is faced by different organisms and similar solutions are adopted. Bats grew wings, yet they are far from birds. Mantids have eyes, but only vaguely resemble mammalian eyes. Whales have fins, but fish did it first. A major purpose of hair in mammals is sensing mechanical interactions. Well, arthropods did it first with setae. Note that first does not necessarily mean better.

 

[c.h.esteban]

ok, in Theraphosidae taxonomy there are a lot of so called "hairtypes". we have urticating hairs, plumose hairs, spiniform hair... and so on.

if i use a translator (because i am a kraut) i get a nice definition; " stiff hairlike or bristlelike structure, especially in an invertebrate".
and from my experience, i think that´s it.

and the difference between a "setae" and a "spine" was well described from Saaristo (2010). he used it for Peucetia and / or Oxyopidae.

“Spine: pointed, rigid structure on body and legs, usually articulating.”.

bye