spiderwebs

If you suffer from arachnophobia (the fear of spiders), then hold onto your seat. While the thought of one spider might be terrifying, what about spiders that hunt in packs of hundreds?

While some silk slingers make large, elaborate webs, there’s one species that might at first appear a bit lazy in the web-building department. But what it seemingly lacks in motivation is more than made up for with style.

Unlike most spiders, their bodies are long and stick-like, helping them blend into their surroundings. In addition, two of their eight eyes are large and forward-facing, giving them surprisingly good eyesight at night – even better than that of an owl. But it’s not their physical appearance or amazing night vision that make these spiders so unique, it’s how they use their web.

I hardly would have noticed her among the dry grasses if it were not for an unusual structure incorporated into her web: a thick white zig-zag of silk…

6/29/14 & 6/30/14: This week on "Fieldnotes:" "Spiderwebs," written by Deborah Richie and Lynn Tennefoss, read by Caroline Kurtz. "We have been spider…