Massive spider web

A spider web was discovered that drapes 200 yards of trees, shrubs, and the ground across a trail in Texas's Lake Tawakoni State Park. Experts haven't yet determined the species of spider responsible. From the Associated Press:

"At first, it was so white it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, superintendent of the park about 45 miles east of Dallas. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown. There are times you can literally hear the screech of millions of mosquitoes caught in those webs."

Spider experts say the web may have been constructed by social cobweb spiders, which work together, or could be the result of a mass dispersal in which the arachnids spin webs to spread out from one another.

Link

Previously on BB:
• Engineered spider web Link

[#1 posted by Flying Squid , August 30, 2007 9:07 AM]

What? No photos? How can they report on something this cool sounding and not provide a picture or two?

[#2 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 9:14 AM]

Social cobweb spiders? So it really is Web 2.0.

Of course I'm posting anonymously. You don't think that I would admit to that do you?

[#3 posted by makenai , August 30, 2007 9:23 AM]

Here's a googled photo:

http://startelegram.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/29/12114802_h12780903_2.jpg

[#4 posted by Flying Squid , August 30, 2007 9:33 AM]

Thanks, MakenAI!

[#5 posted by okkoto , August 30, 2007 9:59 AM]

that's horror movie material

[#6 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 10:07 AM]

Mirkwood!

[#7 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 11:31 AM]

Here's one from Mike Quinn's site, he's an entomologist quoted in the Yahoo story:
http://www.texasento.net/Social_Sp_lrg.jpg

[#8 posted by librarianishish , August 30, 2007 11:36 AM]

Reminds me of this Swedish invasion, by Bird-cherry Ermine moths. Now this is horror movie material:

http://user.it.uu.se/~svens/larverna/normal.html

Beware, not safe for dinner-pictures!

More 'bout the caterpillars:

http://user.it.uu.se/~svens/larverna/about.html

[#9 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 11:52 AM]

Here's more info--and photos:

http://membracid.wordpress.com/2007/08/30/the-spiders-that-ate-texas/

[#10 posted by lanris , August 30, 2007 2:48 PM]

I was immediately reminded of a story I saw recently: http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/animals/millions_of_tiny_spiders.htm

[#11 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 4:07 PM]

That totally rules. Go nature!

[#12 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 6:16 PM]

http://media.star-telegram.com/Multimedia/News/Photos/Bigweb.jpg

Big pic

[#13 posted by Anonymous , August 30, 2007 7:23 PM]

#4: it's already a classic of British SF. John Wyndham's last novel, Web, was about spiders capable of co-ordinated action.

[#14 posted by Anonymous , August 31, 2007 11:14 AM]

I wonder what kind of spiders they are..