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Common Web Spiders

Not all spiders spin webs. Some hunt and live under rocks or in burrows. Not all spider webs are beautiful. Some are messy and slapdash, but other are marvels of symmetry. A spider's web is spun out of pure instinct, without the spider having been taught. Some spiders remove and rebuild their web every day, or at least tidy it by cutting out debris and letting it fall to the ground.

Orb Weavers
- Orb weavers are in the araneidae family. They have poor vision, but some make beautiful large webs. The silk, as with all spiders, comes from spinnerets at the back of their abdomens. There are usually six spinnerets and the silk comes out through tiny spigots. Some threads are sticky to snare prey and some are smooth so the spider can move around and not get entangled herself. Araneus spiders make beautiful webs up to 2 feet (.6m) in diameter, even though the spider may be only .02 inches (.5mm) long. Zygiella x-notata from Europe and the North American coasts weaves a web with a gap at the top. Above the gap, she weaves a tube where she lays in wait for prey.
Cyclosa and Argiope
- Cyclosa spins a web and then hangs in the hub, hidden by debris that she's arranged in a straight line. Her egg case would be hung in the center of the web. The golden silk spider is found in the Southern United States and the tropics and weaves a somewhat messy, but intricate half web -- younger spiders weave a full web. The strands of silk of this web, which can be 39 inches (99cm) across, is so strong that on the South Sea Islands fishermen use them for fishing nets. The argiope spins a 32 inch (81cm) long web and then comes to rest in the center with her legs spread in an X shape -- one species is called the St. Andrew's Cross spider because of this shape. In the center of the web, there's sometimes a latticework of fluffy silk called stabilimenta.
Funnel Weaver
- The webs of funnel weavers can be seen in the early morning when the dew makes them stand out in the grass of lawns and meadows. The webs are flat and layered and the spider waits for prey at the narrow end of the funnel. The funnel weaver coelotes terrestris takes care of her young. She shares her kills with them and warns them of danger. When she dies, the young spiders eat her.
Water Spider
- The European water spider builds a web underwater in ponds, shallow lakes and quiet streams. The web is bell-shaped and the spider fills it with air bubbles it carries on its body.

Animals & Science