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The Complex Webs We Weave

10/9/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
by Jeff Stehm

Halloween is approaching and it’s time to consider that ubiquitous symbol of the haunted house – the spider’s web.  We often see spiders as scary or a nuisance, and their webs as something that must be brushed away, but in fact spiders and the webs they weave are one of the complex wonders of nature.

Dating back almost 400 million years ago, spiders are among the most diverse of terrestrial predators. At least 48,200 spider species, and 120 spider families have been recorded by taxonomists. While we typically associate spiders with webs, not all spiders spin webs (see Wolf Spiders) or use the silk they produce for webs (see Jumping Spiders). Species that produce silk, but not webs, may use silk in several ways: as wrappers for sperm and for fertilized eggs; as a "safety rope"; for nest-building; and as "parachutes" by the young of some species. 

​But webs are what we notice, so let’s learn a bit about web materials, web structure, web functions, and the evolution of webs.

​Learn more...


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1 Comment
Brian Duncan
10/11/2019 09:51:00 am

Jeff - thanks for the information on spiders, interesting. They are amazing creatures and their webs are one of the more ubiquitous things we see every day and often take for granted.

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  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Our Chapter
      • Our Board of Directors
      • Chapter Committees
      • Chapter Contacts
      • Chapter Documents
      • Sponsoring Agencies & Partners
    • Become a Master Naturalist
    • Join Our Email List
    • Contact Us
  • Events & News
    • Upcoming Happenings
    • Newsletters of Interest
    • Chapter Meetings Calendar
    • Past Happenings
  • Training & Education
    • Basic Training
    • Continuing Education
    • Apply
  • Resources
    • Useful Links and Resources
    • The Socrates Project
  • Projects
    • New Project Proposal Request
    • Approved Projects
    • Volunteer Activities by Interest >
      • Activities You Can Do From Home
      • Birds
      • Fauna
      • Flora
      • Pollinators
      • Photography
      • Habitat and Trails
      • Education-Public
      • Education-Students
      • Trees
    • Project Photos >
      • Stewardship-Plant/Animal Survey Project Photos
      • Bird Project Photos
      • Pollinator Photos
      • Education Photos
      • Trail and Tree Photos
  • Blog
    • Reading Corner
  • Log Hours
  • Members List