The Different Types of Spider Webs

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Different spiders may spin the web according to their environment. The timing may depend on a number of factors. Some reports say that some spiders may just take one hour. Then there is the experiment where spiders were subjected to a zero-gravity environment and they took about 24 hours to complete a web.

Spider webs have so many characteristics. They have existed for 100 million years and it is very complex to study so there will be variation in the time it takes for spiders to form webs. Some spiders don’t even make spider webs.

There are four main types of webs used to identify spiders: funnel, tangled, sheet, and orb.

Most spiders you find are not dangerous, but it’s helpful to know what is in your surroundings. You may not see any spiders, but webs are everywhere!

Funnel Web

The most common type of spider web. Characterized by its funnel shape: narrow in the middle, widening on the sides resembling a cave opening. Funnel webs are usually found low to the ground in wooded areas or places with dense plant coverage. Family: Agelenidae. Common name: Funnel weavers/grass spiders. Popular spider: Hobo spider.

Tangled Web

Commonly found in dark, unused spaces around your home such as attics, corners, piles of wood and rubble, and basements. There is no definable pattern and it is often called a “cobweb”. Family: Theridiidae. Common name: Tangle-web spiders. Popular spider: Black Widow spider.

Sheet Web

This type of web looks like a white sheet hanging between trees, in bushes, or on top of grass. The strands are woven horizontally and may be very dense. A sheet web may also look like a bowl, with the middle curving downward. This web is often used by small spiders. Family: Linyphiidae. Common name: Sheetweb/money spiders. Popular spider: Bowl & Doily spider.

Orb Web

The orb web of araneid spiders is pretty remarkable in its elegance. It's a frame supported by sticky radii, yet it can absorb the powerful impact of insects flying at full speed into it without breaking - this is due to both the properties of the silk but also to the architectural design of the web. Family: Araneidae. Common name: Orb-weaver spiders. Popular spider: Yellow garden spider