Horned spider, or spiked orb-web spider. Orb-weaver spider: photo of appearance and description of the life cycle Spider is one of the types of orb-weavers

In the world of spiders, it is the orb weavers that have earned a reputation as the best masters of weaving webs! Moreover, in 1973, two representatives of the family of orbwebs, Anita and Arabella, were sent into space on board orbital station NASA Skylab so that scientists can study the process of weaving webs in zero gravity.

It turned out that even in space, the design of the web did not change; it still had the same characteristic circular shape. In the skill of weaving nets, the round rows have left their relatives far behind: in other spiders, the web does not have such a clear shape, but is only sloppy "funnel" or panels of tangled threads.

Orb-weaving spiders form a whole family Araneidae, which includes about 3000 species.

But uloboride spiders are sometimes mistakenly called orbs ( Uloboridae, several hundred species) - due to the similarity of the web. Both orb weavers and uloborids are widely distributed in the most different corners the globe and weave very similar trapping nets, but these hunters kill their victims in different ways.

Insect hunters

Spiral webs of orbs are one of the engineering marvels nature. The diameter of the web can vary from a few centimeters to a whole meter, but all networks have a common basic structure: a “bridge” line stretched between the stems forms a triangle along with two “anchor” threads that “tie” the web to the ground. Inside the web - a series of threads - "radii", diverging from the center and forming the frame of a radial spiral, itself characteristic feature circular web.

It takes about an hour for a spider (more precisely, a spider, since males do not weave webs) to create this miracle.

The circular web of the orb-weaver is a real trap for insects, which, without suspecting anything, fall into it right on the fly. The orbworm is a passive predator. He sits in the center of a shiny silky spiral and waits until the "lunch" itself will fly to him.

The orb weaver has eight eyes that provide excellent visibility, although the spider does not need to look for prey at all. He learns about the replenishment of his food stocks thanks to the vibration of the threads of the web. In anticipation of prey, the orbworm clings to the web with tenacious claws, which are located at the ends of the legs. He usually sits upside down, clinging to non-sticky threads emanating from the center of the trapping Web.

Once in the web, the unlucky insect sticks to the main spiral of threads, covered with a kind of "glue". Trying to escape from the nets, the victim becomes even more entangled in the sticky mass. The spider catches the trembling of the threads and hurries to the prey along the dry threads.

If the spider gets on the wrong thread, it will free itself, but the victim can no longer get out of the sticky web.

The orb-weaver is cautious about insects caught in the web. If it is a dangerous catch, such as a wasp, it will usually snap the threads around it. Some orbweavers are armed with spikes that protect the spiders if the prey resists. When the insect is not dangerous, the spider kills it by biting it with poisonous "fangs".

The poison not only kills, but also digests the prey. The spider rarely starts eating immediately after catching a prey. First, he wraps the insect with thread and waits. The spider feeds on liquid food and cannot chew, so it injects digestive juices into the body of dead or dying prey. Enzymes corrode the tissues of the insect, turning them into a thick "soup", and the spider sucks it out.

cunning predator

Orb-weaving spiders hang their webs on the routes of insects - between plants, where they most often fly. Usually spiders come out of their lair at night, although in autumn, when the females, as they say, work tirelessly to lay enough eggs, orbs can be seen both at night and during the day. Construction begins with one thread, a kind of "bridge", which the spider stretches, climbing onto a branch.

If the spinner is lucky, this thread, fluttering in the wind, will catch on the second support - the plant on the opposite side. This process is similar to flying a kite. The spider tries to keep the first thread as long as possible, and it remakes the rest of the web almost every day.

After that, under the “bridge”, the spider attaches a second, not so tight thread and runs to the center, in order to then go down on a new thread. It turns out a U-shaped frame - the basis of the web. Two "anchors" connect the base of Y with each stem, thus forming, together with the "bridge", a triangle - the outer part of the web. Then the spider begins to weave dry radial threads, diverging from the center to the edges. There are about 20 such threads.

When the work comes to an end, the spider weaves a wide auxiliary spiral from the center to the edge. This is dry silk, which serves as a platform for the spinner during the construction of a trapping spiral going to the center. The trapping spiral has more turns than the auxiliary one, which the spider removes in the course of work.

Building a web takes about an hour, maybe two. After the spider has caught and eaten the prey, the hunter returns to his lair, hidden among the foliage. The spinner sits there all day until the next evening. Then the spider, or rather the spider, leaves the shelter to inspect the net. If the web cannot be repaired, the orb weaver eats it, and processes the absorbed proteins into silk, from which weaves a new web.

Some types of spinners add thin threads to the design, forming a zigzag pattern. They probably distract the attention of potential prey, which, thanks to them, does not notice the trapping net until it is too late. Uloborid spiders do not weave sticky trapping coils. Their web is an unusually thin thread that clings to prey, like one half of a Velcro fastener is attached to the other. In addition, uloborids suffocate the victim with a tight cocoon.

careful courtship

Orb weaver males are much, about 10 times smaller than females. Adult spiders, obsessed with the goal of finding a mate, stop caring about food. But, having found the web of the female, the spider must exercise maximum caution.

One wrong move - and the female will take him for prey! After mating, the male looks for a new pair, while the female takes care of the production of eggs. The spider lays them in a dense silk bag. The offspring of orb-weavers, having wintered in their "cocoon", will be born in the spring.

The web has incredible elasticity. Its thread can be stretched five times without breaking!

The circular web is virtually invisible unless sunlight hits its lustrous silk and illuminates an intricate spiral of threads, each a fraction of a millimeter thick.

Spider silk is not only used for weaving webs. The spider wraps its prey in a silken blanket and waits for the poison to take effect before eating.

It is said that Carpathian peasants used pieces of cobwebs as an antiseptic, treating wounds with them. Well, in the near future, spider silk may well become a fairly familiar material.

In terms of such a parameter as tensile strength, the web thread can be compared with steel, and the web woven from the web of spinners is stronger than Kevlar ™ fiber. In addition, the moistened web shrinks, so it is likely that it will be possible to make artificial muscles from it.

Scientists are working on deciphering the genetic code of the proteins that make up the orb weaver's web
Araneus ventricosus to learn how to produce such strong threads industrially.

Crosses live almost everywhere, but their largest number is observed on Far East, they can be found mainly in forest areas and in the fields. They weave just huge nets, which sometimes reach as much as two meters in diameter, they are very strong and solid, if some kind of insect gets into such a web, there can no longer be any hope of saving it. In the tropics, spiders are widely known orb weaving spiders, they even weave traps up to eight meters in size, and only females do this, they are very large, they cannot be confused with anyone because of their bright, very original color. Males belonging to this species of spiders are inconspicuous and almost invisible against the background of their females, primarily due to their "compact" size. The web that such spiders spin is striking in its strength, it is very difficult to break it, and besides, it is amazingly elastic, can be stretched to a length three times its original size.

Spider spider found almost everywhere, it got its name due to the pattern on the abdomen, similar to the shape of a cross, the color of such a spider is usually black, but the pattern is made in lighter colors. Although it is not easy to find spiders, their web is found everywhere, to the greatest extent in open spaces, namely in fields and gardens. They are of medium size, males are about one and a half centimeters, females - two and a half. Females lay their eggs where, in her opinion, no danger threatens them, mainly for these needs they choose tree trunks. Quite quickly, young offspring appear from the eggs, which develop simply at a phenomenal speed, and after only a few months it already turns into quite mature independent spiders.

No less interesting for dating and Venezuelan cross, his hallmark is that, unlike many other varieties of spiders, they live together. So, for example, females, laying eggs in cocoons, place them in a common nest, where they stay until the moment when spiders are born.

Despite the intimidating appearance of the orb-web spider in the photo, the description life cycle it is debunked by the myth of the extreme rapacity of the animal and the danger to humans.

According to the international taxonomy of animals, the genus of Nephila spiders (Nephila) is included in the family, which has two synonymous names at once:

1. ancient Greek Nephilidae;
2. latin

In the Russian-language version of the classification of arthropods, they are called Orb-weavers.

Any of the names of these spiders fully corresponds to their abilities: if the Greek nema- and -philos are literally translated as “loving to weave”, then the Russian one indicates the circular shape of the trapping network of this category of arachnids.

The appearance of a typical representative

The entire structure of the spiders of the genus Nephila (hereinafter in the text: spiders-nephiles, or nephiles) is adapted for unhindered, easy and rapid movement.

Spider-web spider according to the photo and description has:

• incredibly long legs, allowing you to take huge steps;
• extremely low weight relative to the huge total area of ​​\u200b\u200bsupport with widely spread paws.

The area of ​​the end segment of the leg is so small that for it the thin fiber of the cobweb serves as a completely reliable support.

Spider weaver

Given the fantastic strength and degree of elasticity of the threads of the trapping net, it is not surprising that the orb-web spider walks along the structure it has built as easily as a person skis on snow.

When looking at its narrow and as if streamlined body, a comparison arises with a racing car, next to which the sometimes huge body of a caught victim seems like a clumsy bulldozer or excavator.

A scattering of small spots of bright color on the abdomen and legs, visually splitting the body into separate fragments, perfectly masks the predator, even located in the very center of its trap.

Where are the nephiles found

Despite the prevalence of nephil in the world, each species lives in conditions that are comfortable for it. Thus, the garden orb-web spider is considered a typical representative of the fauna of Australia.

And if spiny orb-web spider(also called a horned orb weaving spider) cannot meet a Russian citizen either (because it lives in humid and sultry tropics), then for the orb weaving spider Argiope lobata, the semi-deserts and steppes of Crimea, Central Asia and the Caucasus are the habitat.

At the same time, the green orb-web spider (or Araniella cucurbitina) is a rare but common inhabitant of the forest, where it can be found at the very beginning of summer.

Spider Araniella cucurbitina

The most common orb-web spider found near human habitation is an ordinary cross, the details of whose life are well studied by arachnologists - biologists specializing in the study of arachnids.

About the life cycle and reproduction of nephil

males different types Nephil spiders can be up to 10 times smaller than the female. Their life also does not differ in duration - after mating, they are usually killed and eaten by recent sexual partners, with special luck, the male manages to fertilize several spiders during the season.

Sometimes they have to patiently wait a few weeks until the future "wife" sheds, during this period of life she is less belligerent.

An example of spider eggs

Carefully sealed in a dense and warm cocoon, laid and hidden in a secluded place, the eggs overwinter, so that offspring hatch from them in the spring.

Being passive predators, spiders wait for a small animal to get into the network they have built, which is killed by the secretion of poisonous glands. Its enzymes, injected upon bite, cause the body of the victim to be digested while the spider rests in the nest.

Orb-spin tetragnathoides catching a hornet in its web

After the required time has passed, it returns to suck out the liquid formed inside the chitinous shell of the prey from the action of the poison's enzymes.

About traps and catchers

Home distinctive feature nephil from other spider families is the ability to build within 1 hour trapping net a huge area (up to 1 m in diameter), which has a regular radial-spiral structure (hence the name "orb-web spider").

The weaving of trapping nets and their skillful use is the main occupation of the life of the Nefil. So, if stuck to the web poisonous insect(wasp, bee), the threads around the dangerous prey break. The threads that have become unusable are eaten by the spider to serve as material for a new trap.

It is a spider, because, given the preoccupation of males with the abandonment of offspring, they themselves do not knit a web, or they have it in the form of a disorderly construction with randomly tangled threads.

Ladybug caught in a web

But built by the female, it is distinguished by impeccable proportions, and the shape, size of the cells, the thickness of the thread is adjusted to the expected size and resistance of future prey. The shape and size of the grid also depends on the weather and the time of year.

In addition to sticky threads, the design of the trap also includes dry silk threads - spiders run along them without sticking.

Spider of the family araneidae

The unheard-of strength of spider silk proteins (with 5 times the tensile strength of steel wire) and its elasticity (greater than that of nylon) serve as the basis for the existence of both individual members and the entire Araneidae family.

On the danger to humans and the value of spiders for wildlife

The toxicity of the venom of orb-weaving spider species (any) is designed only for killing prey, therefore chemical substances, which are included in it, are not dangerous for human life, although they can cause sensitive pain.

In addition to ensuring their own survival, arachnids provide wildlife with an essential service.

They participate in the process of evolution, regulating the number of some animal species, among which the strongest and most adapted to living in given conditions survive.

As for a person, the number of certain types of insects (planting pests, disease vectors and other categories) is also important for his activities, especially when living in hot tropical countries.

Video: Amazing Spiders (Spider-web)

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 real engineering marvel 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

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 body color 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 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 - Stretched 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. Is a part nervous system: the nerve chain merged into the cephalothoracic ganglion. Nerve endings come out of it and go to various parts 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 most most of the body of the spider, covered with an elastic exoskeleton, allowing 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 is necessarily located a large number of cobweb-secreting organs, the so-called fusuls, forming 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 the environment 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 maintaining a series general characteristics allowing them to be assigned 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 colors 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. Reaching her, they pull the strings in a special way to make it clear to the female that this is not about the victim, but about 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.

Food
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 internal organs victims, 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 black Widow, weave networks of irregular shape.

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: Into the Dark the bats unmistakably find spiders and snatch them with precise movement
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.

Hunting "skills" carnivorous 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 The Life famous women» (XVI century).

One of the myths Ancient Greece tells about 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 when you say modern name 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