Spiders consume 400–800 million tonnes of insects annually, hosts say

What was said

"Each year, spiders consume between 400 and 800 million tons of insects around the globe. Whoa. By comparison, humans consume around 400 tons of meat and fish every year."

Discussing spider ecology, Erin Allmann Updyke cites an estimate that spiders collectively consume 400–800 million tonnes of insects per year worldwide, and contrasts it with a figure she gives for annual human meat and fish consumption. She presents the comparison to argue spiders are major predators that help suppress insect populations, including agricultural pests.