How do spiders know where to build their webs so they will safe and catch prey?
Erin Spiders respond to cues that permit them to build their webs in places where insects are abundant. Agelenopsis aperta, for instance, can detect insect odors and vibrations and will build its webs where these cues are strongest. They also look for shade and favorable temperatures when selecting a web-site. Some spider species (e.g., orbweavers) set out a few test lines of silk for a day or two at a site before building a full web. These test lines can provide an indication of the prey levels that are available at the site. Why do different types of spiders weave different webs (e.g. funnel or orb)? Peter Web designs have evolved over millions of years from just a few silk threads that allowed spiders to sit in a protected environment while monitoring the world outside for both prey and predators to efficient traps. Different web designs, then, in part reflect advances in trap efficiency but also where these traps are placed and what types of insects a kind of spider might expect to
