A special type of arachnids is the spinners. Spiders whose web-weaving skills are admired. Orb-weaver spider: photo of appearance and description of the life cycle Spider is one of the types of orb-weavers

Class: Arachnida Lamarck, 1801 = Arachnids
Squad: Araneae = Spiders
Family Araneidae = Orb-web spiders

From the personal life of orb-weaving spiders

* Read more: Orb-weaving spiders; cross spiders; Curious Facts About Spiders

The evolution of spiders went primarily along the line of changes in behavior, and not in morphology. Therefore, there are so many works on the biology of reproduction, network building and other aspects of the life of spiders. And something new is being discovered all the time.

Arachnologists T. Bukowski and T. Christensen, studying the biology of the North American orb weaver Mecrathena gracilis, which belongs to the group of spiky orbs and has numerous spiky outgrowths on the abdomen, found out two features of their reproduction.

First, the male climbs into the net to the still immature female, shortly before her last molt. He molts fewer times than the female, and becomes sexually mature earlier. This is beneficial: a female that has not yet molted or has just molted is less aggressive. Perhaps, over time, she "gets used" to the presence of a male. Analyzing the condition of males sitting in the nets of females, American researchers found the absence of part of the legs and other injuries in only a small proportion of males. At first, the males behave passively and sit at the edge of the web, apparently fearing the attack of the females. After mating, the male quickly runs away, often even jumping out of the female's web. (Similar male behavior is known in many web spiders, including orb weavers.)

Secondly, two-time mating is characteristic of micrates: at first - short, and repeated - twice as long. In this case, the male tries to fertilize the female through both of her paired copulatory openings. Most likely, this is necessary to guarantee the appearance of exactly her own, and not someone else's, offspring - after all, the female is then able to mate with other males waiting in other corners of her network. Males try to remove competitors by cutting off their web threads, etc.; they themselves, by the way, can also mate with several females.

However, it remains unclear whether the sperm of the first male has an advantage in fertilizing the female, as has been noted in many other spider species. If it does, then the second pairing becomes unnecessary. Perhaps, for the first time, the male “out of excitement” introduces an insufficient amount of sperm? It is also not clear how the male monitors the age of the female. It is hypothesized that from time to time the male visits the growing female, and climbs into her net already "closer to the point" - before the last molt. But so far this hypothesis has not been proven.

Class Cheliceraceae
Spider-cross (Araneue er.)
The cross-web spider is a member of the large family of orb-weaving spiders. These spiders weave an amazingly beautiful round web, with which they catch their victims. The spider-cross hunts mainly on flying insects, primarily Diptera and butterflies, helping to clean gardens and forests from pests.
DESCRIPTION
Females, which are significantly larger than males, can reach three centimeters in length. The color of the body of the spider is dominated by brown tones, two zigzag dark lines stand out on the abdomen, converging in the back. The legs are covered with light and dark rings.
■ HABITAT
This genus is widely distributed throughout the world. These spiders prefer high vegetation and hang their webs at a height of about a meter from the ground.

NOTES
In Japan, this spider is called "onigumo", which means "monster spider". He owes this nickname to his dark hairy torso and boundless gluttony. Its venom, which is deadly to ordinary spider victims, does not pose a serious danger to humans.

Orb weaving spiders
Spiders are invertebrates and are part of a large group of arthropods. The body structure and high adaptability allowed them to survive on Earth for millions of years. The order of spiders includes more than 20 thousand species distributed throughout the globe. Of these, more than 2500 species belong to the family of orb-weaving spiders. Many of these species are known under the common
called "garden spiders".

CLASSIFICATION

TYPE Arthropods
Subtype: Cheliceraceae
Class: Arachnids
Order: Spiders

Suborder: Higher spiders
Family: Orb-weaving spiders

The orb-weaving spider family includes spiders of various sizes and colors. The photo shows a representative of the species Argiope bruennichi

deceptive appearance
Representatives of the family of orb-weaving spiders are characterized by a large abdomen and a relatively soft external chitinous skeleton. However, despite their vulnerable appearance, spiders are ruthless hunters, and their poisonous chelicerae are terrible weapons.
The body of the spider is formed by two easily distinguishable sections. The anterior is called the prosoma, or cephalothorax. This department bears six pairs of limbs: two front pairs in the mouth (chelicerae and pedipalps), and the remaining four pairs are walking legs. The back of a spider's body is called the opisthosoma, or abdomen. The high elasticity of the external skeleton allows the abdomen to vary greatly in size. After a hearty meal or before laying eggs, it can double its normal state.
Somewhat harder to see with the naked eye are two morphological features that distinguish spiders from other arthropods: chelicerae and spider warts. Chelicerae are located in front of the mouth and are two hooks with poisonous glands inside. Spider warts are located below the abdomen in front of the anus. A silk thread stands out from them, from which spiders spin their surprisingly complex and beautiful web.
1 - heart. In a spider, the heart is a tube with 3-4 pairs of ostia (slit-like holes), from the front end of which the aorta departs, dividing into two arteries. Of these, the hemolymph flows directly into the body of the spider, and through the ostia enters again into the heart.
2 - The elongated digestive system crosses the entire body of the spider and is represented by the mouth, oral cavity and intestines. The anterior part of the intestine expands into a muscular pharynx, which serves as a pump that draws in semi-liquid food. The midgut forms protrusions that increase the capacity of the intestine.

The brain consists of two sections: the anterior, which innervates the eye, and the posterior, which innervates the chelicerae. Spiders have no middle section, since they do not have antennae or antennae.
3 - The brain consists of two sections: the anterior, which innervates the eye, and the posterior, which innervates the chelicerae. Spiders have no middle section, since they do not have antennae or antennae.
4 - Poisonous glands are placed in chelicerae, and also protrude into the cavity of the cephalothorax. They produce poison with which spiders kill their victims.
5 - Excretory system. It is represented by malpighian vessels, which have the form of two blindly closed branching tubules that flow into the intestine at the border of the middle and hindgut
6 - Spider warts. These are modified abdominal legs. At the ends of the warts there are arachnoid tubes, from which the cobweb is secreted.
7 - Ovaries. Organs in which eggs develop. In a pregnant female, the ovaries can occupy a significant part of the abdomen.
8 - Subpharyngeal nerve node
9 - Located under the esophagus and connected to the brain. It is part of the nervous system: the nerve chain has merged into the cephalothoracic ganglion. Nerve endings come out of it, going to various parts of the body.

1 - The cephalothorax. This section is protected by a special kind of dorsal shield, harder than the rest of the body of the spider. It covers vital organs, including honey.
2 - Abdomen. This is the largest part of the spider's torso, covered with an elastic exoskeleton that allows them to change in size. A characteristic pattern is often present on the back of the spider to aid in species identification.
3 - Walking legs. The spider has four pairs of walking legs. Each leg is formed by seven segments of various lengths. The last of them is called the paw and ends with two small claws. The size of the legs varies greatly in different species depending on the lifestyle.
4 - Pedipalps. They are shorter than the legs and are located in the anterior part of the cephalothorax next to the chelicerae. Formed by six segments and have sensory functions. In males, the last segment serves as a copulatory organ.
5 - simple eyes. Spiders usually have eight simple eyes. With the help of web spiders, they mainly distinguish between the strength and direction of light; wandering spiders have better vision. In general, the vision of spiders is poorly developed.
6 - Chelicerae. These are the oral appendages responsible for nutrition. They are equipped with a sharp sting connected to poisonous glands.

Netting
Spider warts are modified abdominal appendages from which the web is released.

Warts can be formed by a different number of segments, but the last of them necessarily has a large number of cobweb-secreting organs, the so-called fusuls, which form concentric circles. The shape, size, and location of arachnoid warts vary between species.

HABITAT
In forests and gardens
The habitat of orb-web spiders is tied to the habitat of flying insects, which form the basis of their diet. Forests, shrubs and urban gardens suit spiders best: the abundance of flowers attract insects here, providing the spiders with the necessary amount of food.

The family of orb-weaving spiders is widespread on our planet and includes 2500 species. Its representatives inhabit almost all corners of the land: from sea coasts to heights of six thousand meters above sea level. Without a doubt, it was the geographical distribution that determined the diversity of species of the family of orb-weaving spiders. Various natural conditions and habitat forced them to adapt, changing the structure and habits. And yet, the diverse appearance of the representatives of orb-weaving spiders does not prevent them from retaining a number of common characteristics that allow them to be attributed to the same family.
1 - (Nephila clavipes)
The length of the female of this spider reaches four centimeters, and the size of the male is smaller - only up to ten millimeters. The abdomen has a cylindrical shape. Coloration is orange with occasional yellow spots. Dark and light stripes alternate on the legs. Despite its large size, it feeds on small prey. Distributed in Central and South America, where it lives in forests, swamps and shady gardens.
2- (Argiope bruennichi) The females of this spider reach 25 millimeters in length (up to 40 millimeters with straightened legs), and the size of the males is up to seven millimeters. The color of the spider immediately catches the eye: the abdomen is painted with transverse black stripes on a white-yellow background, for which it is also called the wasp spider. Widely distributed in Europe, South Asia, China, Japan.

3 - an ordinary cross. Araneus diadematus)
The main habitats of the cross-spider are forests, bushes, roadsides and gardens. Females reach 18 millimeters in length, larger than males, whose size does not exceed nine millimeters. On the back of these spiders, a characteristic pattern in the form of a white cross is visible. Widely distributed in Europe, North America and most of Asia, including Japan.

4 - Comet Spider. Gasteracantha sanguinolenta) This small spider has six spines on its abdomen and is colored yellow, red and black. Weaves a web at the tops of trees. Found in Central and South Africa.
5 - Asian golden spider. Nephila pilipes)
This spider can reach four centimeters in length. Weaves a golden web. It lives in the forests of Thailand, India and China. Often used for food.
6 - Precious spider. (Austracantha minax) Females of this Australian species reach a length of 12 millimeters, males - somewhat less. These spiders settle in colonies among the vegetation, hanging the web at a height of one meter above the ground. The abdomen of the spider is covered with thorns and painted in bright yellow and white on a black background.

LIFESTYLE
hanging by a thread
The survival of the family of orb-weaving spiders directly depends on the number of flying insects.

This is the only prey that can be caught in a web located at a relative height above the ground. For this reason, orb-weaving spiders prefer to settle in green areas, where the bulk of their potential victims are concentrated.
without haste
The life of spiders may seem too quiet and calm. All they do is wait until the next victim gets into their net. Zoologists call orb-weaving spiders sedentary, since their entire life passes on or near the web, at least after the spiders reach adulthood. The shape of their body, unlike spiders of other families, such as jumping spiders and wolf spiders, does not allow them to move quickly, and on the ground they are rather helpless. And yet, in a number of cases, orb-weaving spiders leave their guard post and do other things. This happens during the mating season and during the construction of amazing silk cocoons in which the spider wraps its eggs. Many scientists suggest that spiders began to produce silk threads specifically to protect masonry.

mating games
The moment of reproduction, during which the male and female must come into contact, is one of the most dangerous and difficult in the life of spiders, especially males. Usually males are much smaller than females and can easily turn into their prey. To avoid this, male orb-weaving spiders approach the female's web with the utmost care. Having reached her, they pull the strings in a special way to make it clear to the female that this is not a victim, but a possible partner. When the female allows the male to climb the web, he cautiously approaches her and stands opposite her as shown in the photo above.

From this position, he introduces his pedipalps into the genital opening in the abdomen of the opposite female and deposits a spermatophore there, in which spermatozoa are enclosed. After a short copulation, the male leaves the web at a run to avoid unnecessary complications.

Nutrition
The main prey of orb-weaving spiders is represented by flying insects that fall into the web in flight or jump.

Having found the victim, the spider entangles it with a web, completely immobilizing it, after which it pierces it with its powerful chelicerae and injects poison. After a short period of time, when the poison dissolves the internal organs of the victim, turning them into mush, the spider returns to the prey and sucks out the nutrient mass. In the image on the right, a mantis was caught in the web of a wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi).

Reproduction
Spiders are egg-laying animals. This means that their babies develop outside the mother's body. Females lay their eggs in cocoons, or ootheca, made just before laying. In some species of orb-web spiders, ootheca take on amazing shapes and sizes. The thread from which the cocoon is made differs from the thread that goes to weaving nets. As the cocoon is erected, the female processes the threads with her saliva, strengthening them and giving them a papery structure. This helps to protect the eggs, which spend several weeks or even months in a cocoon under a variety of climatic conditions.

Ravenous hunters
All spiders are predators and, accordingly, excellent hunters, destroying insect pests in large numbers. They have extremely diverse ways of obtaining food: from stalking prey by wandering spiders to building a variety of intricate trapping devices by settled spiders. At the same time, orb-weaving spiders stand out from their counterparts in that they weave the most beautiful and largest webs.

The main hunting skill of orb-weaving spiders is the ability to weave a web. It should be borne in mind that a lot of insects get into the web during the day. With too much "harvest", the spiders have to constantly repair the web.

Although most orb-weaving spiders try to make it invisible, there are some, such as the wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi), which put a cross in the center of their web, or a stabiliment, which is formed by four zigzag web ribbons. At first glance, this does not make sense, since the zigzag unmasks the web. But scientists believe that this is done so that the web is more visible to birds. Seeing a web in flight, the bird will try to fly around it. However, spiders are not only hunters, but also victims. They are especially loved by birds that feed spiders to their chicks. Warblers are considered one of the main hunters of spiders and catch them both on the web and in their hiding places.

Artist's handwriting
Each group of spiders has its own characteristic web shape. The most interesting is the large concentric web of orb-weaving spiders, designed to trap flying insects. There are spiders that don't make any kind of web at all, like jumping spiders. Rough webs in the corners of walls and on tree trunks are characteristic of tangled weaver spiders and six-eyed spiders. Web spiders, which include the black widow, weave irregularly shaped webs.

The main enemies of spiders
Birds: Many birds, such as warblers and tits, love to feed spiders to their chicks.
Wasps: Some wasps catch spiders in their webs. They paralyze the spider with a sting, drag it into their hole and lay an egg on the body of the spider. Upon hatching, the larva feeds on the spider as "live canned food".
Bats: In the dark, bats unerringly find spiders and snatch them with precise movements.
from the web.

Major casualties
Spiders: Female spiders are larger than males and can sometimes feed on their partners. In addition, there is a special family of spiders Mimetidae, which feed exclusively on spiders of other species.
Flies: They are the main victims of spiders and make up a significant part of their diet.
Grasshoppers: Grasshoppers' abundance and mode of locomotion make them a prime prey for orbweb spiders.
Butterflies: The uneven flight of a butterfly seeking flower nectar often ends up in the webs of a spider.
Dragonflies: The webs of some spiders, such as the wasp spider, are capable of holding even large insects such as dragonflies.

The hunting "skills" of predatory plants and animals improved along with the development of life on our planet. Predators have always adapted to the behavior of their prey. The most cunning of them have managed to create traps that allow them to catch prey without chasing it, and without even entering into direct confrontation, fraught with injury and damage. Using traps, some species hunt prey that they cannot cope with in an open fight. A significant proportion of these sophisticated hunters are spiders, whose ability to weave silk webs has become proverbial. Spider web is one of the most durable natural materials. But not only spiders can build traps. There are other creatures that use deceit and cunning to earn their living.

Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Flycatcher is one of the carnivorous plants. It grows on peatlands, poor in nutrients, and therefore needs protein food. On the upper surface of the two rounded leaves of the leaf, three sensitive hairs stick up, secreting a very sticky liquid. The flaps of the flycatcher instantly slam shut when an insect hits. The digested prey is absorbed by the cells of the plant.

Antlion (Palpares sp.)
Adult antlions are very similar to dragonflies (left) and catch their prey in flight. The larvae (top right) build amazing traps on the ground.

In the process of its development, a small larva digs a funnel in the sand (bottom right) and hides at its bottom. When an ant or other terrestrial insect approaches the edge of the trap, its walls collapse and the animal cannot climb up. The larva grabs it with its powerful jaws, pulls it into the sand and eats it.

Wasp spider Argiope bruennichi) Wasp spider and spiders similar to it spin the most beautiful webs, reaching two meters in diameter. If such a trap is stretched between two bushes, it occupies almost all the free space and it is very difficult to bypass it.

Nemesia (Nemesia sp.)
Nemesia live on earth and dig underground galleries lined with cobwebs. They spend almost their entire lives in them. The entrance to the mink is closed by a lid, which the spider makes from the web. The lid is almost invisible against the background of the earth. The spider waits at the entrance to the gallery, holding on with its feet to the finest threads of the web scattered near the entrance. As soon as a small invertebrate steps on them, the spider jumps out of its hiding place, grabs the victim and drags it into the hole.

From myths to cinema
The ability of spiders to weave webs has fascinated people since ancient times. Not without reason, in ancient and modern art, characters with the abilities of a spider act as skilled craftsmen or superheroes.
The myth of Arachne has become a favorite subject of classical art. The first depiction of this scene was found on an ancient Greek incense vessel dated to the 7th century BC. In painting, it is captured on the canvases of Rubens and Velasquez, and in literature it is found in Homer and in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Above is an illustration from Antoine Dufour's Lives of Famous Women (16th century).

One of the myths of Ancient Greece tells of a girl named Arachne, who once lived in Lydia and was a perfect master of weaving. Arachne was so skillful and proud that she was not afraid to challenge Athena herself, the goddess of the arts and the inventor of yarn and fabric, to the competition. Pallas Athena descended from Olympus to earth and accepted the challenge of a proud girl who dreamed of proving that she could weave better than a goddess. Each of the contestants created their own masterpiece. But Athena really did not like the plot depicting the gods, created by Arachne on an immaculately woven canvas. The goddess became angry, tore the fine work and hit the girl. Arachne could not bear the shame, twisted a rope for herself and hanged herself. Taking pity, Athena saved Arachne's life, but turned her into a spider. In Greek, "Arachne" means "spider", so that, pronouncing the modern name of arachnids - Arachnida, we involuntarily mention the name of the Lydian girl.

Comic book hero who conquered the TV screen
The idea to give a person the ability to spin a web, just like spiders do, formed the basis of one of the most famous comics - Spider-Man.

According to the plot, the bite of the spider gave Peter Parker the opportunity to indulge in a superhero capable of throwing a web for long distances in order to move from building to building and catch villains who threaten defenseless citizens.
The comic book, which was released in the United States in the middle of the 20th century, served as the plot of several equally successful film adaptations. Unlike real spiders, Spider-Man did not have a spinneret. He released his web from his wrists.

Based on the materials of issue No. 4 Insects and their acquaintances

In the world of arthropods, the real masters of weaving the web, by right, are the orb-weaving spiders. Where do members of this family live? What common species are found in domestic latitudes? What does the orbweb spider look like? The answers to these and other questions can be found in our article.

general description

Orb-weaving spiders, photos of which can be seen in the article, are insects whose body length reaches a maximum of several centimeters. Most members of the family have a dirty brown color. Among the orbs, spiders of a reddish and greenish hue are occasionally found.

Such insects have four pairs of legs, symmetrically located on both sides of the body. The extreme limbs have the greatest length. They are used for weaving nets.

The female orb-weaving spiders are much larger than the males. In addition, they are more aggressive behavior. For this reason, miniature males have to constantly be careful. Since an angry female is able to pounce on a representative of her own species at any time, mistaking him for a suitable victim.

Web

Giant orb-weaving spiders are capable of weaving webs that are a real engineering marvel of nature. The diameter of the web can reach the order of a meter or more. However, regardless of the size of the spider, the webs always have an identical structure.

Such insects stretch a horizontal line between the stems of plants, which acts as the base of the web. Two threads depart from it, which connect the frame to the soil. A whole series of so-called radii diverges from the center of the fundamental line. The latter form spirals, which actually form a circular web.

The creation of the above traps is carried out exclusively by female orb-weaving spiders. On average, it takes them about an hour. Males do not waste time weaving webs.

Hunting features

Orb-web spiders are passive predators. Representatives of this family are located in the central part of the spiral web and wait until the prey itself falls into their trap. Despite the presence of as many as eight keen eyes in such arthropods, which provide excellent all-round visibility, they do not have to look out for victims at all. Spiders react to the vibration of the threads of the nets by placing the claws of their tenacious paws on them.

Once in the web, the victim sticks to the threads, which are covered with a sticky substance. The more movements the prey of the orb-weaving spider makes, the less chance it has for salvation, since the body becomes more entangled in the sticky mass with each vibration. Having caught the vibration, the hunter hurries to the prey, moving along the dry threads. However, the spider is able to free itself even if it gets on the sticky part of the web.

Representatives of the family are sensible about the victims who were in the networks. If a bee or a wasp is in the web, the hunter carefully cuts off individual threads until the dangerous catch is taken away.

There are spiny orb-weaving spiders. The body of the latter is covered with hard outgrowths that protect them from victims who are able to resist. If the prey does not pose any potential danger to the spider, the hunter injects poisonous enzymes into its body through special fangs. Such substances not only reduce the activity of the prey, but also lead to the gradual digestion of its entrails.

Orb-weaving spiders do not have chewing organs. For this reason, they start “lunch” only after some time has passed, when the victim’s insides turn into a liquid state. The enzymes of the spider's venoms turn the victim's tissues into a thick mass, which the hunter happily absorbs.

Reproduction of offspring

Male orb-weaving spiders are several times smaller than females. Sexually mature individuals are especially active in finding a pair. Males obsessed with mating do not care about their own food. It is for this reason that they do not create a web.

Having found a female, males are cautious. There is a high chance that they will be eaten. After all, females quite often mistake them for prey.

After a successful mating, the males go in search of a new pair. At this time, fertilized females begin to prepare for the reproduction of eggs. Spiders form a special silk bag, where they lay their offspring. Orbweaver eggs are in a cocoon throughout the winter. With the advent of heat, young individuals appear from them.

Common members of the family

In domestic latitudes, the following orb-weaving spiders can most often be found:

Common cross- has an abdomen that expands closer to the head. In this place there are light marks that resemble crosses. The back contains a leaf-like pattern of a dark brown hue. Representatives of the species reach a size of about 16 mm. Inhabits forest clearings, edges and clearings. Scatter the net at a height of about 2 m.
Marble cross- has an oval abdomen, which expands in the middle part. On the surface of the body there are white spots that form oval patterns. There are reddish markings on the legs. The size of adults, on average, ranges from 15 to 20 mm. Representatives of the species build shelters in the form of rolled leaves, in which they wait for prey.
Four-spotted cross- has a spherical abdomen, painted with four dark dots, which are located on a light background. In the back of the body is a blurry leaf-like pattern. Such spiders inhabit humid areas, living in meadows, along the banks of water bodies and wherever there is high grassy vegetation.
striped orbworm- representatives of the species have a smooth, rounded body. The size of such insects is no more than 6 mm. The body is presented in the form of a brown cephalothorax and a light abdomen, which contains wide longitudinal black lines. Such spiders settle in places with grassy, wet vegetation. Striped spinners stretch the web low above the soil, among the grass.

Finally

So we found out what the orb-weaving spiders are. About 20 species of such insects are found on the territory of our country. We often stumble upon their large complex networks in parks, gardens and forests.

Orb weavers are spiders whose weaving technique can delight even a professional weaver. Once, scientists even conducted a funny experiment - they sent two representatives of this species to one of them. What was their surprise when these creatures, even in conditions of complete weightlessness, managed to create a web of ideal shape and structure.

What else do we know about these spiders? For example, where do they live? What do they eat? And how dangerous are they for humans?

general information

Orb weavers are spiders, whose family includes more than 3 thousand species. Considering this, it is safe to say that they are in the lead among similar beings. However, this also means that it is quite difficult to give them a general description. After all, despite some similarities, their external differences can drive even an experienced researcher into a stupor.

What unites them all? The correct answer is a web, all spinners weave it. Spiders of this species, despite all their differences, create networks of a similar shape. It is difficult to confuse it with the creations of other arachnids, as it has an almost perfect shape. Looking at it, you can clearly distinguish both the main threads and additional ones, in the form of circles.

The appearance of spiders

These representatives of arachnids boast the richest set of skin tones. They can be both snow-white and poisonous green. In general, the color of their body depends on the habitat and serves as a kind of natural camouflage.

But there is something that makes all representatives of the Orb weaver species look alike. Spiders of this family have a large abdomen, which in its volume greatly exceeds the cephalothorax. Also on the front pair of paws there is a special process, thanks to which they weave their web.

habitats

Trapping webs of orb-weaving spiders are scattered all over the world. They can be found in both North and South America, Africa, Europe and even Australia. Some representatives of this species feel quite confident on the territory of Russia. In particular, the most common is the cross-spider.

If we talk about the preferences of these arachnids, then we can say with confidence that they like quiet and cozy corners, hidden from prying eyes. Therefore, they try to weave their web in those places where contact with the human world is minimal.

However, sometimes they can change this rule. The reason for this is the desire to find lands rich in food. Therefore, do not be surprised that the orb-web spider decided to settle in the garden or in the garden. Indeed, in such places there is a lot of prey, which, by the way, is often a pest.

How does a spider spin its web?

As you might have guessed, the orb-weaver needs a web not only for the sake of aesthetic pleasure. In practice, this is a powerful trapping mechanism, honed over many centuries by evolution. How does it work?

The construction of a new network begins with the fact that the spider launches one end of its web into the wind in the hope that it will catch on, for example, a tree. After the goal is reached, the spinner, using the newly made bridge, begins to weave other branches of the web.

At the same time, he has two types of threads in stock. One is strong and elastic, the second is sticky. The first he uses to build the frame of the web. The second one is wound in circles in a spiral in order to cover as large an area as possible.

A signal thread runs along the entire web, the vibrations from which are able to inform the hunter that the victim has flown into a trap. After that, he only has to wait a little while the prey is finally entangled in the network.

What do Orb Weavers Eat?

The basis of the diet is made up of insects that managed to get into the net. In this case, the spider will rarely attack immediately. In most cases, he will wait until the victim is a little tired and stops fluttering, after which he will approach him.

The orbworm does not eat the whole prey. He injects special toxins into her, which corrode the victim from the inside. Then he simply drinks the contents like a thick soup, and dumps the rest down.

or not?

Many are interested in how dangerous it is for others, including people. Well, this arachnid has poisonous glands. But its toxins are only dangerous for insects and small mammals. In particular, it can cause paralysis in them.

As for people, it is not fatal for them. But the pain from him will haunt the poor fellow for a long time. True, spiders rarely bite people, it is much easier for them to jump to the ground and run away than to get involved in a senseless fight with a giant.

Spider-cross

In Russia, there is also a spider-web. Photos of this arachnid are presented in the article. His name is a cross. In general, this species of orbweaver is not much different from its relatives. He got his name thanks to the pattern on his belly in the form of a cross. You can meet him both in the forest and in an ordinary park.

They are often hard to spot because they hide from people. But with the advent of autumn, everything changes - they begin the mating season. At this time, the females weave webs in the most prominent places so that the male does not miss them. And only with the advent of the first cold weather, they again hide in their shelter.

The nature surrounding a person is not always friendly towards him. However, often what looks intimidating on the outside, in fact, is not so. This can also be attributed to the garden orb-weaving spider, the very name of which indicates its main occupation and outstanding weaving abilities. It should also be added that representatives of this species are one of the very first living organisms that appeared on Earth long before man. The time of their appearance dates back to the Cretaceous period.

What does it look like

The orb-web spider does not differ in the structural features of the body. Like all his relatives, he has:

cephalothorax;
abdomen.

Important!Female Orbweavers boast longer walking legs than males, and their chelicerae are more venomous.

On the first part of his body are six pairs of legs, and only four of them contribute to movement. The two remaining pairs have different names and have a different purpose:

pedipalps - precede walking legs. They perform several functions at once. It is both an organ of reproduction, and touch, taste and smell. They are also called "leg tentacles";
chelicerae - look like claws, and it is in them that there are poisonous ducts. These two pairs of limbs are located simply in the spider's mouth.

The spider has the following external characteristics:

their abdomens are of different sizes. It especially increases in females bearing offspring;
the color of the spider can be greenish, brown, gray, black with yellow speckles, white or black and white;
three pairs of spider glands are located below the abdomen;
the body size of females and males is different. In females, the length reaches from 15 to 25 mm, males are much smaller - 9–11 mm;
the body of spiders is covered with an external skeleton, and the abdomen and cephalothorax are connected with a stalk;
The eyes of these predators are very small. Vision is an unnecessary luxury for them, as they get along well with other senses. However, four pairs of eyes are located in two rows - on the forehead and on the crown.

Habitat and lifestyle

This type of arthropod is also called garden spiders. Very often, walking in the garden or picking berries from a bush, you can see his trapping net. They also like to weave webs near fences or in weeds. In any case, preference is given to sunny and wind-protected places.
It is not easy to see the hunter for easy prey himself. Usually during the day he hides in his shelter - under the nearest leaf. There he hangs, resting, on a cobweb. But at night comes the period of activity. At this time, the spider catches its prey, swinging in the very center of the dangerous lace.

Did you know? In one of the London museums, an unusually beautiful golden dress was presented, which took four years and a web of a million orb-web spiders to make.

What does it eat

Spiders have an excellent appetite and can eat food much larger than their own in a day. However, they also have significant breaks in nutrition - from a year to a day. The diet of circle weavers includes:

flies;
mosquitoes;
vile;
small grasshoppers;
crickets;
pollen and fungal spores;
web.

Digestive juice is injected into the trapped prey, which turns the insect into a kind of homogeneous soft and viscous substance, which the spider draws into itself like a cocktail.

Orb-weaving spiders build their web in a special way. If crickets often get into their networks, then they make large cells, if the prey is not so large, then they reduce the holes in the web.

Did you know?Cambodian women« milked» nephil and pull threads from their arachnoid glands, which are wound on a spindle. Then they make rugs from such yarn, and men make fishing line for catching fish.

How to weave a web

The web is a special kind of art. It is a kind of triangle, one side of which is in the air, and the other two are connected to each other near the ground. Inside this triangle, a web is woven, diverging from the center to the edges in the form of a spiral.
The web has a very neat appearance - the cells of one row do not differ from each other in size and increase in proportion to the web. Its radius can vary from a few centimeters to a meter. The main threads have a special adhesive coating, barely touching which, the victim will no longer be able to free himself. And the spider along the dry "paths" will painlessly get to it.

Did you know? Some Orb Weavers even managed to go to space. And in conditions of weightlessness, the pattern of their web remained unchanged.

By the way, weaving begins with dry threads, after which the spider proceeds to trapping nets. A rather thick thread is stretched through the finished web, which serves as a kind of “bell” - it is thanks to its vibrations that the spider understands that it is time for him to have lunch. After eating the next prey, the spider checks its web and pulls up stretched threads or connects broken threads. It takes about 1-2 hours for the spider to complete this masterpiece. Males do not participate in weaving.

poisonous or not

These spiders can be considered harmless. Although they, of course, can bite if there is a threat to him or his home. The bite site will swell and turn red after a while, and in the center of it two small wounds will be clearly visible. After 2-3 days, the skin will return to normal. Although they hold the title of the most biting, their venom is mainly used to digest food.
Spiders bring great benefits not only to the ecosystem, but they have faithfully served a person for a huge number of years. They cleanse nature from harmful insects (up to 400 such individuals can get caught in their net per day). The finest silk is made from the web, from which beautiful dresses, gloves and other clothes are then obtained.

Important!The bite of this spider will not bring fatal health consequences.

In microsurgery, optics and instrumentation, it is difficult to find a full-fledged analogue of this thinnest and incredibly durable natural remedy. Even the treatment of wounds and burns is carried out with the help of a special cobweb film, which contributes to the speedy regeneration of the skin. Therefore, having met somewhere in the country or in the forest with the inconspicuous author of this masterpiece, there is no need to destroy it. Let him live his life and continue to benefit people.