Posted by Cfourexplore
This is cool...used to be terrified of spiders; especially as a kid, you know, only hearing the horror stories. I discovered a few black widows in an apartment I lived in about 15 years ago. Two story house, I lived on the lower floor; had this dank, old basement room with a stone retaining wall at the back end. They hung out there; never saw them in any other parts of the place...I left 'em alone, and they left me alone. Despite the fact I still get nervous around spiders, I gotta respect them for what amazing creatures they are. Their silk (of which they have a few different kinds) are protein strings...it is not uncommon for a spider to 'recycle' its web by consuming it in order to replenish nutrients lost from the creation of the web. Always found that to be interesting... Incredible creatures indeed; skilled hunters, assassins, architects...an important part of the ecosystem.
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Never knew they could recycled the silk.
At one time because of it's seemingly randon webbing I assumed the black widow to be a backward sort of primitive spider.
How wrong I was.
There is purpose to their web design that you never notice until you see how they use it. The web isn't intended to hold the prey, merely slow it down long enough for the widow to bolt to it. She moves rapidly from her hiding place to the prey. She works almost entirely by touch avoiding stingers and mandibles as she skillfully binds her prey with silk.
The web design serves another surprising function, she uses like a gantry crane to transport the immobilized prey to her hiding spot to fed undisturbed.
By cutting specific strands and connecting new strands of silk she can transport her prey transversely as well as raise and lower it.
I've watch them do this on a park picnic bench.
The widow hides in the steel tube below the seat board, her web extends a foot or so outward under the table. I've seen one bring a grasshopper up about 6 inches from point of capture, then across 7 or inches into the tube.
She worked on it for an hour or so, transported by silk back outside the tube and then after a bit, bring it back into the tube.
Finally she brought out and discarded it.
The grasshopper was many times her size and certainly weight.
I'm like WTF?! I was amazed at her sophistication, skills and abilities.
She will also stand guard over her egg sack(s) at the end of the season until she dies.
They will hatch out next spring.
There are also some fairly large jumping spiders in Texas.
These guys are way cool and many are colorful.
They hunt on the move and are very alert.