August 31, 2007

A Not-So-Itsy-Bitsy Web

Scientists debate the origins of a giant spider web found in North Texas

By Vickie An

People who have a fear of creepy crawlies will want to stay far away from Lake Tawakoni State Park in North Texas. Officials have discovered a sprawling spider web that engulfs one of the park's trails. The thick web is swarming with millions of little spiders. Stretching across several acres, it blankets a number of oak trees, shrubs, and even the ground.

TOM PENNINGTON—FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/AP Rangers monitor the rare, giant spider web at Lake Tawakoni State Park in North Texas. The park is located about 45 miles east of Dallas.

But while the web may give some the heeby-jeebies, it's become a big attraction for others - especially for unlucky insects. "At first, it was so white it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, the park's superintendent. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown. There are times you can literally hear the screech of millions of mosquitoes caught in those webs."

Wondrous Workings

Most spiders work alone, which is why the discovery of the huge mosquito trap has caused such a stir. Scientists across the country have been debating the origin and rarity of the web. Some spider experts say the monstrous web may have been weaved by social cobweb spiders. Social spiders work together to build large webs to catch their prey. However, those webs take years to construct. Park officials say this web was formed in just a few months.

Others say it could be the work of millions of tiny ballooning spiders. These types of spiders "fly" by throwing out thin strands of silk, which they use to ride air currents. In 2002, a similar giant web made by ballooning spiders was discovered in a clover field in British Columbia, Canada.

An Ongoing Mystery

Texas entomologist Herbert A. "Joe" Pase says the giant web is very unusual. An entomologist is someone who studies insects. "From what I'm hearing, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said.

But John Jackman, an entomologist and professor at Texas A&M University, disagrees. Jackman says he hears reports of similar webs, like the one in British Columbia, every few years. "There are a lot of folks that don't realize spiders do that," he said. "Until we get some samples sent to us, we won't know what species of spider we're talking about."

Park rangers expect the web to last until fall when the weather gets cooler. That's when the spiders begin dying off.

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