Here’s one to cause nightmares for arachnophobes, a giant spider web ‘network’ found in Texas is a rare sight caused by a community of the insects working together. While commonly known as solitary creatures, more and more clues are being unveiled about the social aspect of spiders’ existence in the United States.
Discovered by entomologist Mike Merchant from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the vast spider web blanketed several trees along the CA Roan Drive road in Rowlett. The stunning and eerie sight has drawn quite a lot of attention and some understandable goosebumps.
In the trees planted along a “football field-length” area, the spiders have taken over and built an entire complex of interconnected webs, which is leisurely used by all its residents with no reported conflicts, gathered up together to catch prey. The “glistening webs” drape over the trees at Lakeside Park for over 40 feet across them.
And it’s not the first time this has happened in Texas. Back in 2007, a similar incident occurred in Lake Tawakoni State Park, only 35 miles away from Rowlett. Which could mean that the general area has a curse placed on it. Or just a huge population of midges, which the spiders can feast upon. One or the other.
The rare, natural phenomenon is told to appear only within the “right conditions” by spiders in the Tetragnatha guatemalensis family, which are currently now in Texas, but even then it’s not a common sight. It requires a vast amount of food available, likely insects flying at night from lakes in order to feed the entire community.
This particular species of spider is reportedly not aggressive to others of its kind and, thus, is able to create an entire ‘network’ of webs for all to use, though a nest this large is still very rare, according to arachnologists who study all families of the insect. The food may keep them together and their social nature might stem from the common purpose.
Passer-bys along the CA Roan Drive are encouraged to stop and admire nature’s “work of art”, with the obvious caution not to touch it. That is, if you’re brave enough to venture that close to 40 feet worth of webs with thousands of spiders streaked across it. Most would likely choose to admire the rare sight from a distance.
It has been pointed out that the Tetragnatha guatemalensis spider is also unaggressive to humans, so visitors or locals may rest assured that there is no need for pesticides or other treatments. It’s more a sight to be admired than feared, but it can only be assumed that the chances of either is 50/50.
Image source: neatorama.com
Jeff Bottrell says
Spiders are not insects, Ms. Lewis
Tony R. says
Go easy on her: She was probably a journalism major in school.