Spider Webs
Spiders are classified according to their way of life. Web-Spinning Spiders spin webs to trap insects because their
vision is not very good. They know when prey is trapped on their web by
detecting and reacting to the vibrations the line makes from their prey
moving and trying to get free. Hunting Spiders run after insects or lie in wait for them.
Some hunting spiders spin simple webs that stretch out along the ground to catch
insects. These spiders are grouped as hunters because they run after the insects that land in their webs.
This article will deal with silk of spider webs as well as
different types of webs and how various spiders use these webs in their daily
lives. Did you know that each spider can produce several different types
of silk?
Size and Purpose of Webs Silk of Web Silk Properties
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formation of spider webs in and around the home, in boats or other
vehicles, read about Cobweb Eliminator. Spiders Control
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Size, Shape and Purpose of Webs
Webs have different purposes, according to the individual species of spider, how it captures or stores its prey. Spider's silk can be used to help small, young spiders transport to new areas (ballooning) or be so strong that it is used to make fish nets, as with the Nephila spider web. Other types of spider webs and their silk discussed here:
- Tangled spider webs
- Orb web
- Sheet webs
- Gum-footed webs
- Horizontal Line Webs
- Bolas Spider Web
- Triangle webs
A Spiders Web is made from silk. Spiders are the only animals that use silk in their daily lives.
Spiders have seven pairs of silk spinning organs or glands called “spinnerets”
located either in the middle or at the end of their abdomen. Each spinneret on the
spider is different from the other and used for making several
kinds of silk: attachment disk silk (leaves a zigzag pattern and gives strength to the dragline), a strong dragline or safety
line silk (gives the spider an anchor point), orb web spiral line (gives the web strength and stretchiness to catch flying prey),
glue-like sticky catching silk (traps and keeps captured prey on the web), swathing silk (for wrapping and immobilizing prey),
tangling cribellate silk (tangles the bristles, spines and claws of prey) and a protective egg sac silk (to keep baby spiders
safe).
The silk is produced as a liquid, but emerges from the glands as solid silk fibers when the spider moves away from
the attachment point. A spider’s silk line is only .001-.004 mm thick.
Amino acids and protein crystals help the silk maintain its stretchiness, stiffness and strength.
The silk that spiders
produce are used for building webs, catching prey, storing food, escaping from danger, making egg sacs, sending and
receiving vibrating signals and for transportation on silken
ropes called “ballooning” as the spider floats through the air on the strand of silk.
This ballooning technique ensures that young spiders are scattered about.
If all young were to remain in one tight area, many could starve from lack of
food for number of spiders and insects in a given area.
Some silk strands are stronger than steel
strands of the same thickness. The silk of the Nephila spider is the strongest natural fiber known to man and is used to make tote bags and fish nets.
In a specific species, spiders can use their web to capture an air bubble; with
this bubble the spider can survive and hunt under water where other spiders and
insects would drown.
Web-Spinning Spiders SPIDER WEB PICTURES
Web-Spinning spiders only use the tips of their legs when creating their webs so that their body doesn’t come in contact with the web and get stuck. They use a middle claw and the bristles on their leg tips to hang onto a single thread that keeps them balanced until their web is fully made.
An Orb web is the most common type of spider web and looks like a wheel with spokes.
It consists of outer frame lines, radial or spoke-like lines and spiral lines.
The outer frame is made up of a bridge line and two anchor lines that come together to form an upside down triangle.
Three frame threads connect the corners together and from there spoke like lines
are made connecting all of the threads together.
The spiral lines are created last, starting in the very center of the web and moving outward, so that the spider can use its sticky
catching silk heavily throughout the web. Orb webs are created by orange garden orb weaving spiders, banded orb
weaving spiders, golden orb weaving spiders, humped or silver orb weaving spiders, arrowhead-shaped micrathenals, bolas
spiders, marbled spiders, silk spiders, spiny-body spiders, shamrock orbs and labyrinth spiders, who spins both the orb
web and the tangled web.
Tangled Web Spiders
Tangled spider webs consist of a shapeless jumble of threads attached to a support such as the corner of a ceiling. Cobwebs are tangled webs that have collected dust and dirt. Cellar spiders, the comb-footed spiders (included black and brown widow spiders), the ogre-faced stick spiders and common house spiders are spiders that make these types of webs.
Sheet Webs
Sheet webs are flat sheets of silk between blades of grass or branches of shrubs or trees. Spiders that create sheet webs also spin a net of crisscrossed threads above the sheet.
When a flying insect hits the net, it bounces into the sheet web. The
spider, which hangs upside down beneath the web, quickly runs to the insect and pulls it through the webbing.
Sheet webs last a long time because the spider repairs any damaged parts.
The bowl & doily spider, the filmy dome spider, and the platform spider form sheet webs.
Gum-footed Webs
Gum-footed webs consist of tightly woven silk strands attached between two branches.
The upper strands are dry and built in sheltered areas away from sunlight while the lower strands are built in exposed area and run down to a bottom branch where they are attached.
Each of the lower sticky strands are covered in sticky droplets and are attached weakly at the bottom.
When an insect walks into the sticky silk strands its struggle break the lines moving the web upwards and lifting the prey off the ground reducing its chances of escaping.
Redback spiders create gum-footed webs.
Horizontal Line Webs
Horizontal Line Webs are made up of one simple line of sticky droplets stretching across low vegetation, bark and leaf litter. Spiders that create this type of web pull the line taut by keeping the slack silk underneath them until an insect hits the line. When that happens, the loose silk whips along the line and tangles the prey. Cribellate spiders and other pea-sized spiders create these webs.
Bolas Spider Web
The Bolas Spider Web is a very simple web designed for their unique method of hunting.
In order to hunt and catch male moths, the bolas spider sits on a horizontal line and spins a single line with a sticky silk tip that dangles from its leg.
While
waiting, this spider will emit a scent similar to a female moth. When the male moth comes toward the spider, the spider swings the sticky strand in a circle and captures the moth, pulling the strand in to feed.
Triangle Webs
Triangle Webs are created in the shape of a triangle, hence its name.
The spider weaves silky strands of spokes and spirals that connect to all three strands.
The triangle spider waits at one end of the web for an insect to land.
When it does, the
spider shakes the web so the insect is caught and cannot
escape.
Hunting Spiders
Funnel Web spiders construct large, flat, horizontal webs of non-sticky silk with a funnel at one end in grassy areas.
The funnel is open at both ends so the spider can escape if necessary.
When the spider feels the vibration of is prey, it dashes out, bites the insect and carries it back to the funnel.
Funnel web spiders are also known as grass spiders.
Nursery Web Spider
The Nursery Web spider is considered a hunting spider because it only builds a web when laying her eggs.
She carries her eggs in a silk sac close to her body until just before they hatch.
The egg sac is then attached to a leaf and a web is built around it.
The female spider then stands guard nearby until spiderlings hatch from their
eggs.
Pictures of Spider Webs
- SHEET WEB
- FILMY DOME WEB
- FUNNEL
WEB
- ORB SPIDER WEB
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