Hobbies And Interests
Cobweb Designs
Cobweb designs differ greatly from the webs designed by orb-weaving spiders; rather than radiating outwards concentrically from a single point, cobwebs appear randomly designed. Cobwebs have central or peripheral retreats in which the spiders hide during the day.
Theridiid Spiders
The members of the Theridiidae family of spiders, also known as cobweb spiders, spin webs using sticky, or viscid, capture silk. They weave webs to capture prey, including ants and some flying insects.
Cobwebs on Evergreens
Cobwebs spiders design gumfooted webs anchored to surrounding upright objects like fenceposts, trees and buildings. Evergreen branches on either garden shrubs or small trees offer stable anchorages for cobwebs, and hence make excellent support structures.
Benefits to Man
Cobweb spiders capture and eat many pest insects, including mosquitoes, flies and ants. They perform these beneficial duties worldwide, with more than 2,200 species in 96 genera.
Venomous Types
The adult females of the five widow spiders of the genus Latrodectus that appear in North America (red widow; brown widow; and southern, northern and western black widows) deliver highly venomous bites.