| Depending on the type of spider, several different types of silk may be used in constructing a web such as a sticky capture silk to a fluffy capture silk. Webs may be constructed Horizontally, normally sheet webs, or vertically, predominately orb webs, or any other angle in between. Constructing an Orb web
During the making of the orb web, the spider will use it self for measurements.
The majority of webs made by spiders span gapes they could not have easily crawled between. They accomplish this by first letting out a fine and very adhesive thread that will drift on the finest breeze across a gap. As soon as the thread has stuck to a suitable position, the spider will walk along it carefully while strengthening it with a second thread. The spider will continue backward and forward strengthening the line in order for it to support the rest of the web. After this thread is strengthened, the spider will continue to construct a Y-shaped netting. With this complete, the web can now be constructed, with more radials being added with the distance between each being small enough to cross. The size of the spider and the web determines how many radials there will be.
Once all the radials are in place, the spider will then move on to fortifying the centre of the web with around five circular threads. After, the spider will spiral outwards using a non sticky web, with widely spaced threads to be used for moving around the web during construction working from the inside to out. Then working from the outside in, the spider will replace the non sticky guide web with a stick web spaced closer together. The spacing between each spiral will be proportionate to the distance from the tip of its back legs to its spinnerets. This is one of the ways in which the spider will use it's self for measuring.
Once the web is completed, the spider will chew of the initial three centre spiral threads then sit and wait for its prey. During construction, if the web becomes broken but without structural damage, the spider will not initially attempt to fix the problem.
After having made the web, the spider will wait on or near the web for its prey to fall victim to its sticky trap. Once its prey has become trapped, the spider will initially feel the vibrations from the impact and then the struggle.
Spiders do not normally stick to there own webs thou they are not immune to sticking to them. When moving around there webs they must be careful so not to get stuck by using non sticky threads in there webs.
A spider that positions its self at the centre of the web is very visible to predators such as birds, many orb web spiders that hunt during the day will reduce this risk by hiding at the edge of its web, with one foot on a signal line from the centre of the web. rest their feet on the surface of the water. Then when an insect falls into the water and breaks the waters surface tension, they become trapped, the spider senses the vibrations through the water and runs out to capture the prey.
Spiders webs are rich in vitamin K which can be very effective at clotting blood, in traditional European medicine, webs were used to help heal wounds and cuts and to reduce bleeding. Communal spiders webs
Spiders may build webs together occasionally, in the same area. One measuring 180 meters across was reported at Lake Tawakoni State Park in Texas. Spider web uses
Some species of spiders do not use there webs for catching prey directly, some spiders pounce from hiding such as trapdoor spiders, or some chase down there prey such as the wolf spider. The Net casting spider uses both methods for catching its prey. The Net casting spider will weave a small net that it attaches to its front legs, it will then lurk in wait for potential prey, when potential prey comes along, the spider will lunge forward at its prey and wrap its victim in the net, followed by biting and paralyzing its victim. Using this technique, the Net casting spiders uses less energy. They don't loss energy building a whole web and they don't loss energy from chasing down prey.
Some spiders don't even spin a web, they use the signalling technique. There are several types of water dwelling spiders that |
