How Much Web Can a Spider Make?
WouterSpiders build webs to trap prey. They choose a location for the web carefully. The web is a delicate structure with a few strands sticking together to form a sticky trap. As the spider builds the web, it slowly adds in more sticky silk.
There are dozens of species of spiders that use spiderwebs to catch prey. They use different kinds of silk to create their traps. Some of the silk is sticky, while others is flexible. They also make their own silk.
When building a web, spiders begin at the outside of the web and work towards the center. Then, they add in a spiral of sticky silk. This makes the web clingy and able to trap prey.
Most spiders use four to five different types of silk. They produce the silk in internal glands. Some species make eight different types of silk during their lifetime. They use different glands to create each type of silk.
Most orb-weaving spiders have poor eyesight. Unlike the rest of the spider family, they weave their webs by using a sense of touch. They usually start by creating a “Y” shape. They then create spokes, and connect the spokes with more threads.
Orb-weaving spiders have six spinnerets. Each spinneret attaches to a silk gland. The silk glands create two different types of silk: viscid and dragline. The dragline silk is strong and flexible, while the viscid is comparable to rubber in elasticity.
Some spiders also use stabilimenta. This is a thin layer of sticky silk that decorates the web.
