How Do You Identify Spiders By Their Webs?
When you think of spider webs, you may conjure up images of long sticky trails of dusty webs clinging to the attic beams, but many spiders create elaborate webs designed to attract and catch prey. The design of the web depends on the type of spider and the prey it attracts. Although you can’t tell the exact spider from the design of the web, examining the web will provide clues to the type of spider that has created the web. Step 1 Look for funnel webs in small bushes or trees. These webs are designed from a sheet-like web with a funnel to the side or center of the web. The silk may be sticky, but is not always so. The prey enters the web and gets snared by the threads while the hiding spider darts out of the funnel and grabs the prey, pulling it back into the funnel. Funnel web spiders (Agelenidae) are nocturnal and hide during the day. There are over 300 species in the United States, which include the common grass spider. Step 2 Watch for orb webs (Araneidae) near the garden or suspe
