NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Spider web

A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb (from the obsolete word "coppe", meaning "spider" ^[1]) is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets. Insects can get trapped in spider webs, providing nutrition to the spider; however, not all spiders build webs to catch prey, and some do not build webs at all. The word "cobweb" is usually used for a web inside a house, where dust has gathered on the sticky silk, forming long, hanging streamers. Spiders Web is the sixth single of Georgian born songstress Katie Melua and is the third single from her album Piece by Piece. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 Ã— 2592 pixels, file size: 5. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 Ã— 2592 pixels, file size: 5. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 Ã— 2592 pixels, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 Ã— 2592 pixels, file size: 4. ... Families Amphipterygidae Calopterygidae - Demoiselles Chlorocyphidae - Jewels Coenagrionidae - Pond Damselflies Dicteriadidae - Barelegs Euphaeidae - Gossamerwings Hemiphlebidae - Reedlings Isosticidae - Narrow-wings Lestidae - Spreadwings Lestoididae Megapodagrionidae - Flatwings Perilestidae - Shortwings Platycnemidae - Brook Damselflies Platystictidae - Forest Damselflies Polythoridae - Bannerwings Protoneuridae - Pinflies Pseudostigmatidae - Forest Giants Synlestidae - Sylphs The Damselfly (Suborder Zygoptera) is an insect in the Order... Diversity 111 families, 40,000 species Suborders Mesothelae Mygalomorphae Araneomorphae See table of families Wikispecies has information related to: Spiders Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals that have two body segments, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Spider silk is a fibre secreted by spiders. ... A spinneret is a spiders silk spinning organ. ... Predator and Prey redirect here. ...

Types of spider web

There are a few types of spider web found in the wild; and many spiders are classified by the webs they weave. Different types of spider webs include:

Several different types of silk may be used in web construction, including a "sticky" capture silk, or with "fluffy" capture silk, depending on the type of spider. Webs may be in a vertical plane (most orb webs), a horizontal plane (sheet webs), or at any angle in between. Most commonly found in the sheet-web spider families, some webs will have loose, irregular tangles of silk above them. These tangled obstacle courses serve to disorient and knock down flying insects, making them more vulnerable to being trapped on the web below. They may also help to protect the spider from predators such as birds and wasps Diversity 166 genera, 2840 species Genera Aculepeira Arachnura Araneus Araniella Argiope (St Andrews Cross spider) Austracantha Bertrana Celaenia Cladomelea Cyclosa Cyrtophora Dicrostichus Eriophora Gasteracantha (Spiny orb-weavers) Kaira Larinia Larinioides Lewisepeira Mangora Mastophora Melychiopharis Metepiera Micrathena Neoscona Nuctenea Ordgarius Perilla Zygiella many others The orb-weaver spiders (family Araneidae... Genera Leucauge Meta Leucage Nephila (Golden silk orb-weaver) Pachygnatha Tetragnatha The Long-jawed orb weavers or Long jawed spiders (family Tetragnathidae) are elongated spiders with long legs and chelicerae. ... Genera Ariston (spider) Astavakra Conifaber Daramulunia Hyptiotes Lubinella Miagrammopes Octonoba Orinomana Philoponella Polenecia Purumitra Siratoba Sybota Tangaroa Uloborus Waitkera Zosis The hackled orbweavers (family Uloboridae) have the special distinction of being non-venomous spiders. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cobweb habitude spiders. ... or It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sydney funnel-web spider. ... Genera Agelena Agelenopsis Hololena Tegenaria The araneomorph funnel-web spiders of the family Agelenidae include the common grass spiders of the genus Agelenopsis, as well as the mildly venomous European hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis, which has been introduced into the Pacific Northwest of the United States. ... Image File history File links Zygiella_web. ... Image File history File links Zygiella_web. ... Diversity 12 species Species See text. ... Dew drops adhering to a spider web For the medical condition see Adhesion (medicine) Adhesion is the molecular attraction exerted between bodies in contact. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Families See text. ...

How spiders make webs

Spiders have several spinneret glands located at their abdomen which produce the silken thread. Each gland produces a thread for a special purpose. Seven different gland types have currently been identified, although each species of spider will possess only a few of these types, never all seven at once.

Normally a spider has three pairs of spinnerets, but there are spiders with just one pair or as many as four pairs of spinnerets, with each spinneret having its own function. Commonly spiders are about 15 times smaller than the webs they make.

During the process of making a web the spider will use its own body for measurements, a very practical and ergonomic design feature of any web. This will allow the spider to move quickly and efficiently around its own web with very few faults. It will start with the most difficult part of construction, the first thread. The spider effectively utilizes the wind to carry its initial adhesive thread. With some luck the silk is released from its spinners and carried by the wind to a suitable adherable surface. When it sticks to a surface the spider will carefully walk over the thread and strengthen it with a second thread. This process is repeated until the primary thread is strong enough to support the rest of the netting. After strengthening the first thread the spider will continue to make a Y shaped netting. The first three radials of the web are now constructed. More radials are added making sure that the distance between each radial is small enough to cross. This means that the number of radials in a web directly depends on the size of the spider plus the size of the web. After the radials are complete the spider will fortify the center of the web with about five circular threads. Then a spiral of non-sticky, evenly spaced, circular threads are made for the spider to easily move around its own web during construction. The spider then, beginning from the outside in, will methodically create the adhesive spiral threads. It will utilize the initial radiating lines as well as the non-sticky spirals as guide lines. The spaces between each spiral will be directly proportional to the distance from the tip of its back legs to its spinners. This is one way the spider will use its own body as a measuring/spacing device. While the sticky spirals are formed the non-adhesive spirals are removed as there is no need for them anymore. After the spider has completed its web it will chew off the initial three center spiral threads then sit and wait. If the web is broken without any structural damage during the construction the spider does not make any initial attempts to rectify the problem. Indeed, there are many variations to constructing a web. This is just one possible way. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (1728 Ã— 1152 pixels, file size: 832 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (1728 Ã— 1152 pixels, file size: 832 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Binomial name Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757) Synonyms Araneus vatius Aranea calycina Aranea 4-lineata Aranea kleinii Aranea osbekii Aranea hasselquistii Aranea uddmanni Aranea scorpiformis Aranea virginea Aranea citrea Aranea citrina Aranea sulphereoglobosa Aranea sulphurea Aranea quinquepuncata Aranea albonigricans Aranea calicina Aranea cretata Misumena citrea Thomisus citreus Thomisus calycinus Thomisus dauci...

Webs allow a spider to catch prey without having to expend energy by running it down. Thus it is an efficient method of gathering food. However, constructing the web is in itself an energetically costly process due to the large amount of protein required, in the form of silk. In addition, after a time the silk will lose its stickiness and thus become inefficient at capturing prey. It is not uncommon for spiders to eat their own web daily to recoup some of the energy used in spinning. The silk proteins are thus 'recycled'.

Some spider silk strands are stronger than steel strands of the same thickness; the microstructure of this material is under investigation for potential applications in industry. For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ...

How spiders use webs

The spider, after spinning its web, will then wait on, or near, the web for a prey animal to become trapped. The spider can sense the impact and struggle of a prey animal by vibrations transmitted along the web lines. Download high resolution version (800x699, 129 KB)A large Australian Garden Orb Weaver Spider. ... Download high resolution version (800x699, 129 KB)A large Australian Garden Orb Weaver Spider. ... An Australian Garden Orb Weaver The Australian Orb Weaving Spider is a very common species with many close variants in size, shape and color within Australia. ...

Spiders do not usually adhere to their own webs. However, they are not immune to their own glue. Some of the strands of the web are sticky, and others are not. For example, if a spider has chosen to wait along the outer edges of its web, it may spin a non-sticky prey or signal line to the web hub to monitor web movement. Spiders have to be careful to only climb on the non-sticky strands of their webs.

A spider positioned in the middle of the web makes for a highly visible prey for birds and other predators. Many day-hunting orb-web spinners reduce this risk by hiding at the edge of the web with one foot on a signal line from the hub, or by appearing to be inedible or unappetizing.

Some species of spiders do not use webs for capturing prey directly, instead pouncing from concealment (e.g. Trapdoor spiders) or running them down in open chase (e.g. Wolf spiders). The Net-casting spider balances the two methods of running and web-spinning in its feeding habits. Diversity 9 genera, 120 species Genera Bothriocyrtum Cyclocosmia Ummidia Cteniza several others, see text Trapdoor spiders (superfamily Ctenizoidea, family Ctenizidae) are medium-sized mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. ... Diversity 107 genera, 2320 species Genera Adelocosa Alopecosa Arctosa Geolycosa Hogna Lycosa Pardosa Pirata Sosippus Trochosa many more Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae, so named because their method of hunting is to run down their prey. ... Genera Deinopis The Ogre-faced spiders (family Deinopidae) consist of stick-like elongate spiders that build unusual webs that they suspend between the front legs. ...

This spider weaves a small net which it attaches to its front legs. It then lurks in wait for potential prey and, when such prey arrives, lunges forward to wrap its victim in the net, bite and paralyze it. Hence, this spider expends less energy catching prey than a primitive hunter such as the Wolf spider. It also avoids the energy loss of weaving a large orb-web. Image File history File links Caffeinated_spiderwebs. ... Image File history File links Caffeinated_spiderwebs. ... Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid compound that acts as a stimulant in humans. ...

Some spiders manage to use the 'signaling snare' technique of a web without spinning a web at all. Several types of water-dwelling spiders will rest their feet on the water's surface in much the same manner as an orb-web user. When an insect falls onto the water and is ensnared by surface tension, the spider can detect the vibrations and run out to capture the prey. Surface tension is an effect within the surface layer of a liquid that causes that layer to behave as an elastic sheet. ...

Communal spider webs

Occasionally, a group of spiders may build webs together in the same area. One such web reported in 2007 at Lake Tawakoni State Park in Texas measured 200 yards (180 m) across. Entomologists believe it may be the result of social cobweb spiders or of spiders building webs to spread out from one another. There is no consensus on how common this occurrence is.^[2] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 534 pixelsFull resolution (1024 Ã— 683 pixels, file size: 443 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The communal spider web at Lake Tawakoni State Park. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worthâ€“Arlington Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... A yard (abbreviation: yd) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Entomology is the scientific study of insects. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cobweb habitude spiders. ...

Outside influences on spider web weaving

Administering certain drugs to spiders has an effect on the structure of the webs they build. It has been proposed by some that this could be used as a method of documenting and measuring the toxicity or the effects on motor co-ordination of various substances.^[3]^[4]

It has also been observed that being in Earth's orbit has an effect on the structure of spider webs in space.^[5] An experiment into spider webs in space was conducted in 1973 aboard Skylab involving two spiders called Arabella and Anita, two females of the cross variety. ...

Gallery

External links

References

Categories: Articles needing additional references from June 2007 | Spider anatomy The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Diversity 111 families, 40,000 species Suborders Mesothelae Mygalomorphae Araneomorphae See table of families Wikispecies has information related to: Spiders Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals that have two body segments, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ... Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related organisms such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, collectively called arachnids. ... A spider in Baltic amber Todays 40,000 described species of spiders are members of the hugely diverse arthropod animal phylum. ... The behavior of spiders is an often neglected topic in the study of arachnology, stemming from the fact that it is much easier to collect dead specimens for later examination than to observe them in their often unaccessible habitat, or to create laboratory conditions suitable for the observation of natural... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... eating a conspecific // Sweet and Sour Ballsack is a strange delicacy eaten by the small community of Pictou County. ... Ballooning is a term to describe the way many spider species disperse through the air. ... An experiment into spider webs in space was conducted in 1973 aboard Skylab involving two spiders called Arabella and Anita, two females of the cross variety. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... As with other animals, there are some species of cave-dwelling spiders that have lost their ability to see. ... Diversity 111 families Families see table The Araneae are an order of the arthropod class Arachnida with about 40,000 described species, although there are probably many species that have escaped the human eye to this day, and lots of specimen stored in collections waiting to be described and classified. ... The Liphistiidae are the most primitive living spiders, placed in their own suborder, called the Mesothelae. ... Diversity 111 families, 40,000 species Suborders Mesothelae Mygalomorphae Araneomorphae See table of families Wikispecies has information related to: Spiders A South American Argiope Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals with two body segments, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ... Families Antrodiaetidae (folding trapdoor spider) Atypidae (atypical tarantula) Ctenizidae (trapdoor spider) Cyrtaucheniidae (wafer trapdoor spider) Dipluridae (funnel-web tarantula) Hexathelidae (venomous funnel-web tarantula) Mecicobothriidae (dwarf tarantulas) Theraphosidae (tarantula) The Mygalomorphae, (also called the Orthognatha), are an infraorder of spiders. ... The Araneomorphae, previously called the Labidognatha, are a suborder of spiders. ... Spider anatomy: (1) four pairs of legs (2) cephalothorax (3) opisthosoma The anatomy of spiders is in some aspects similar, but also different from that of other arthropods. ... An insect leg The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. ... A book lung is a type of respiration organ used for atmospheric gas exchange and is found in arachnids, such as scorpions and spiders. ... The cephalothorax is an anatomical term used of arachnid and malacostracan arthropods for the first major body section. ... Types of chelicerae: jackknife (in green), scissor (in blue) and 3-segmented chelate (in red) The Chelicerae are mouth parts of the Chelicerata, an arthropod subphylum that includes arachnids, Merostomata (horseshoe crabs), and Pycnogonida (sea spiders). ... The Cheliceral fang of a spider is so called because the chelicerae of spiders consist of two parts, one containing all or part of the glands that produce the spiders venom and the other part a kind of organic hypodermic needle through which the venom is injected into prey... A cribellum is a kind of comb-like device in certain spiders, used to separate fibers of silk drawn from its spinnerets into many extremely fine fibers, giving it a wooly structure. ... The epigyne or epigynum is the female genital opening in spiders. ... Exuvia of an Antarctic krill. ... The opisthosoma is the posterior portion of the arachnids body behind the prosoma. ... Thelyphonida, in dorsal view, with pedipalps highlighted in green Pedipalps, the second pair of appendages of the cephalothorax in Arachnida, is homologous with mandibles in Crustacea, and corresponding to the mandibles of insects. ... Scopula pads (pl. ... Spider silk is a fibre secreted by spiders. ... A spinneret is a spiders silk spinning organ. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Argiope trifasciata Web decorations, sometimes termed stabilimenta, are conspicuous silk structures included in their webs by many species of orb-web spider. ... Chelicerae of a black wishbone (Nemesiidae) spider, a mygalomorph Spiders occasionally bite humans. ... For other uses, see Arachnophobia (disambiguation). ... Precolumbian spider image from a conch shell gorget at the Great Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma. ...

Contents

Types of spider web GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

How spiders make webs

How spiders use webs

Communal spider webs

Outside influences on spider web weaving

Gallery

External links

References

References

Types of spider web