The wonderful world of spiders: preface to the special Toxicon issue on spider venoms

Spiders are remarkable for their complete reliance on predation as a trophic strategy. Their evolutionary success is due in large part to production of a complex venom that is designed to rapidly subdue or kill their prey. This issue provides an overview of the fascinating complexity of these venoms, a realistic account of the danger they pose to humans, and an examination of their immense but largely untapped potential for drug and insecticide discovery.