Anelosimus eximius: spiders weave webs the size of a one-room apartment (7 photos)

What could be more terrifying to an arachnophobe than a spider? The answer is very simple: tens of thousands of arachnids who have managed to build an effective society and are accustomed to hunting together. No, this is not a cheap horror movie script, but another miracle created by nature - Anelosimus excimius, the social spider!





Welcome to the nightmare!

Their colonies are among the largest arachnids in the world - the number of individuals can reach 50 thousand! True, the spiders themselves do not shine in size: a maximum of some 6 millimeters, and this only applies to ladies; men are even smaller.



In general, there are many types of social spiders. But this species collects some of the most numerous colonies among others.

It is very difficult to meet them, unless, of course, you like to walk in the tropics of South America. But the web can be seen a mile away - the spider army weaves webs up to 30 square meters in area. Their web, however, has some peculiarities - it does not stick at all. That’s why guests don’t visit their network as often as their other eight-legged brothers. But this does not prevent the anelosimus colony from thriving.





Hmm, my mother told me, wipe the dust on time...

Unlike ants, arachnids do not divide each other into castes: males and females work together to build and repair webs, hunt together and share prey. In short, the socialist paradise became a reality for these comrades. And this strategy is completely justified. Thanks to it, spiders are able to hunt prey tens or even hundreds of times larger than themselves.



Look into the grasshopper's eyes. This is fear. This is the horror of imminent death. Good night.

The effectiveness of their hunting is ensured by special tactics and web design. A moment of architecture from social spiders. Above the main network is another, denser one in the shape of a funnel. It is into this that the unlucky prey falls through. From the vibrations it emits, something clicks in each spider’s head - if before they moved chaotically, now the eight-legged predators begin to synchronously approach their future dinner.



A crowd of spiders tears the fly into pieces, while the digestive juices have already begun to digest it from the inside. The wildlife is amazing.

It is interesting that the hunters move in such dashes, periodically freezing in place: during these short pauses, the spiders wait for the vibrations they themselves create to subside, and also estimate the size of the prey by the vibrations. Having reached the poor thing, they attack her with their entire spider horde at the same time, after which the spiders throw a feast for the whole world.



He happily rubs his chelicerae in anticipation of a hearty lunch.

In addition to the trap, their web serves as a kind of social network, excuse the pun. By communicating through vibrations of threads and attaching pheromones to them, spiders find a mate and continue the race. They do not hesitate to do this, since they have little time - this eight-legged comrade lives for a maximum of three months. And when it comes to caring for offspring, the powers of the males, as they say, are “everything.” Females take full responsibility for the young.



Sanya, I heard from the vibrations that you are still corresponding with Lyudka. What about our family?! What about our children?!

In general, social spiders like Anelosimus have learned all the benefits of cooperation. The size of their prey is on par with the largest arachnids, it is easier to build webs together, and it is much easier to find a mate surrounded by thousands of relatives. What's the conclusion? Live together, comrades! It’s easier, more fun, and more satisfying. growing up, which my friends and colleagues ask me - why do I need a dangerous predator at home that I can’t pick up and play with...