If millions of spiders congregate in one place, they can work as a team, spinning enormous sheet webs that cover trees, hedges, and fields. These wonder weavers transform the landscape with their intricate designs.
In 2010 many trees were blanketed by giant webs in Sindh, Pakistan, when heavy monsoon rains flooded large areas. Spiders and other webspinning creatures living on the ground had to seek shelter. They climbed trees to escape the flood waters, and their handiwork was visible for all to see.
Fast Facts
The spider with the longest legs is a species discovered in a cave in Laos in 2001 – the giant huntsman spider. It measures 30 cm (12 in) from the tip of one leg to the tip of its opposite leg. The biggest spider by weight is the Goliath bird-eater, a species of South American tarantula that weighs in at 70 g (2.5 oz).
