Despite the myth, spiders are not "the only group of animals that do not produce melanin".

What is it about?

Our research showed that eumelanin is present in spiders and further supporting that melanins are present in most living organisms.

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Why is it important?

Documenting the presence of melanin in spiders should spur investigation of its biosynthetic pathways and numerous other questions. For instance, are other types of melanins, such as pheomelanin, present in spiders? Are melanins involved in the spider’s immune system, cuticle sclerotization, and/or structural color production? The courtship displays of many adult male wolf spiders involves using conspicuous brushes of black hairs (tufts) on their forelegs. Could melanins act as honest signals in spiders as they appear function to in some birds? Regardless, our results may close the door on the mystery of why one group of organisms would lack an otherwise widespread pigment – it was there all along.