Web construction is one of nature’s most impressive architectural achievements, and a recent viral video filmed a time-lapse of a spider building one from start to finish. While some arachnophobes may be wary of praising these eight-legged engineers, the fact that some species of orb weaver spin and deconstruct one of these webs every day is not to be dismissed.
The small spider’s massive efforts have not gone unnoticed by the TikTok community, where user @dinaoren0 initially shared the video, with over 60 million views at the time of writing.
The spiny orb weaver, who is impossible to miss in the video, appears to be the artist at work. Spiny orb weavers, which belong to the Gasteracantha genus, have a stunning white abdomen with punky red spikes. They’re small and only a few millimeters wide, and they’re found throughout the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.
In the animal realm, spider webs come in many forms and sizes, with some being enormous enough to take over entire towns. They’re excellent for hunting, catching insects, and storing food for later use, and some species even use neurotoxins to paralyze animals.
Webs have also been used as pulleys to lift a large meal and anchors to keep the net stable, as well as nets and slings to catch passing prey.
In the past, scientists were fascinated by spider webs and web construction. Researchers challenged spiders to construct in zero gravity by sending them into space in the year 2020. The findings shed new light on the significance of light in spiders’ attempts to orient themselves.
To learn about the delicate art of web-spinning, however, one does not need a science degree or a budget that allows for space travel. Take a look outside and be amazed by the silk spinners’ skill. A spider spins a massive silver orb web in this mesmerizing timelapse video.
Mark Gildner, a North Carolina resident, initially put up his camera to capture a timelapse of storm clouds drifting in. He was shocked, however, to see that he had actually caught the development of a giant orb spider web.
A spotted orb weaver spun the magnificent building, which took 40-45 minutes in real time (Neoscona crucifera).
It measured 76 centimeters (30 inches) across Mr. Gildner’s balcony when it was finished. Small insects are grabbed by the web as the video progresses, and the spider eats them for dinner.
‘I wasn’t expecting to see the spider when I watched the first video back, so it was a wonderful surprise, and I was actually pretty delighted when I saw the final result,’ Mr Gildner added.
