
ENT 532 Fall 2024: Image of Araneidae web in leaf
While looking at plants near the edge of a stream, I noticed a spider (Araneidae) in its web on a shrub. The web stretched between two leaves and along a branch of the shrub. One of the leaves was folded in half, with its two sides held together by silk. The spider was on the exposed part of the web, but when I poked the web with a stick, it retreated into the folded leaf. After ten minutes, it had still not emerged from the leaf. It seems that this structure is used to hide from predators (and I suspect it could also provide some protection in inclement weather). Involving a leaf in the web seems like it would complicate the selection of a location to build a nest. I wonder if these spiders always include a leaf in their webs or whether they sometimes have a completely exposed web? Can they build their nests on a wide range of plants or if they require a very specific leaf structure? Is there a preferred leaf size?
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Work Title | ENT 532 Fall 2024: Image of Araneidae web in leaf |
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License | CC0 1.0 (Public Domain Dedication) |
Work Type | Image |
Publication Date | September 24, 2024 |
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DOI | doi:10.26207/0zc7-9q61 |
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Deposited | September 24, 2024 |
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