![]() Web structures (A) funnel web ( Agelenidae), (B) sheet web ( Linyphiidae), (C) mesh web ( Dictynidae), (D) reduced orb web ( Uloboridae) (E) vertical orb web ( Aranaeidae), (F) tangle web ( Theridiidae), (G) horizontal orb web ( Tetragnathidae). These web types include funnel webs, sheet webs, mesh webs and tangle webs, according to a study published in 2013 in the journal PeerJ. Webs spun by spiders that are not orb weavers may look messy or haphazard by comparison. ![]() And while most orb-weavers produce webs that are perpendicular to the ground, some, such as Leucauge dromedaria, spin webs that are oriented horizontally, according to the Atlas of Living Australia. Other orb weavers incorporate a zig-zag structure into the web center, known as a stabilimentum. For example, spiders in the Cyclosa genus install a "decoration" in the middle of their webs made of prey leftovers and bits of leaves, which the spider may use as camouflage, Zschokke said. To some extent, all orb webs resemble each other, but there are details that differ between species. Related: 21 totally sweet spider superlatives When that spiral is finished, the spider removes the auxiliary spiral, Zschokke explained. Once this temporary spiral is finished, the spider crafts a new, sticky spiral by working toward the center from the outer frame. This is a placeholding structure made of non-sticky silk. (Image credit: Courtesy of Samuel Zschokke)Īt this point, the spider moves to the middle and builds what is known as an auxiliary spiral from the inside out. This animation shows orb-web construction by Araneus diadematus. Orb webs are ideal for catching flying insects because they provide a wide area for prey capture and are nearly invisible, according to the Australian Museum in Sydney. These are known as orb webs, and they are made by fewer than 10% of known spider species, said Samuel Zschokke, an arachnologist in the Section of Conservation Biology at the University of Basel in Switzerland, where he researches and visualizes spiderweb construction. Picture a spiderweb, and you might imagine a wheel-like structure with a spiral and spokes radiating outward from the center. ![]() Other spiders use silk to build ingenious traps and tools, such as throwing nets, oxygen-holding nets for breathing underwater, web slingshots, silk-sealed leaf pockets for catching frogs, and silk pulleys capable of lifting lizards or small mammals. Some spiders actively hunt for food, but they still use silk for making wind-sailing balloons, egg sacs or tiny "houses" to hide in, according to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. There are approximately 48,000 known spider species worldwide, and while all spiders have silk-producing organs, known as spinnerets, and can produce several varieties of silk, not all spiders spin webs and lie in wait for their prey.
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