What is a web
A spider in its web.
The web itself is the secret of the arachnoid glands that freeze in the air. It is produced in special arachnoid warts, thin outgrowths on the edge of the abdomen.
The spider web contains the protein fibroin, which forms fibers and makes them strong and elastic. For connection and attachment, the same matter is used, which is immersed in a special adhesive gel secreted by other glands. They also produce fiber from the anterolateral warts, which is a slightly watery material that covers the threads themselves.
Paper craft Spider on a cobweb
If your child is afraid of spiders, you can try to rid him of this phobia by showing him that these insects can even be funny. A simple craft “Spider on a Web” will help you do this, which is very easy to do with your own hands. To create parts, you should use the symmetrical cutting technique, following the detailed instructions below.
1. You don’t need any complicated template for cutting out the web. To begin, take a square piece of white paper. To get a more weightless canvas, use a thin napkin, but regular office paper will also work.
2. Start folding the prepared square, clearly aligning the sides. First make a rectangle.
3. Fold the rectangle again to form a square.
4. Next, align the opposite corners, bending the resulting triangle diagonally.
5. Fold the resulting triangle one or two more times. The thickness of the web depends on the number of folds. Use scissors to trim the edge to make it neat.
6. Use scissors to create cloves of equal width.
7. Unfold the folded square to straighten the web. The product can even be ironed with a warm iron to make it perfectly smooth.
8. To create a spider, you should also fold a small piece of dark paper in half, draw a template for one half of the insect and cut it out.
9. Straighten the web dweller.
10. Glue two white eyes to make the spider funny.
11. Glue the insect onto the web. The craft is ready.
Such a product will replace a snowflake if the task is to decorate a room for the New Year, or is suitable as an attribute for celebrating Halloween.
@Kaleidoscope Decor
How does a spider make a web?
Creating a web.
The process itself is very interesting. Production goes like this:
- The spider presses the web warts to the substrate.
- The secret sticks to him.
- The spider uses its hind legs to pull out the viscous mixture.
- As the spider moves forward, it draws out the secretion and it freezes.
- The animal walks along the thread several times, thereby strengthening it.
Master class: web of threads
- Yarn (threads from any material, all kinds of colors)
- Scissors (ordinary stationery, for cutting or even manicure)
- Tape (use tape that won't damage your wallpaper and can be easily removed, such as masking tape)
Tools for thread web
Operating procedure:
- To start, cut 3-4 long strands (or more) and secure them to the wall with tape (or nail them to the wall). Place them so that they all intersect in the middle.
- Secure all the long pieces of thread in the middle with a small piece of yarn and tie them together. It is advisable to cut off unnecessary long ends.
Scheme and procedure for collecting webs from threads
Then take a long piece of yarn and begin to gradually form a web. Tie one end of the yarn to one of the long pieces of thread and do the same with each of the long pieces.
How to properly fasten and “tie” knots on a web
- On each long strand, tie a large piece of thread to the strand (using a simple knot).
- Continue moving from one long strand to the next, twisting and tying, until you gradually reach the very first strand you started with.
Trim any excess yarn ends. Each knot should be sliding so that you can easily move it up or down the thread.
The easiest way to secure it to the wall is with masking tape.
Repeat this step, using increasingly longer pieces of thread to form increasingly larger rings on your web. You can make these rings at a very short distance from each other, or, conversely, further away - it all depends on your mood and aesthetic need.
Only when you have finished weaving all the rings on the web will your spider web be ready!
Select the size and shape of your future web in accordance with the features of your wall, the location of bookshelves or windows.
You can weave a web, combining a variety of colors and sizes - compact white or huge black.
To further lift your spirits, you can weave a web from some bright, juicy threads! Don't forget to add small faux spiders to enhance the spooky effect!
Usage and Functions
Spider web fiber is very strong, comparable to the density of nylon. According to some opinions, this is because the spider creates it while hanging on the same fiber.
It has interesting features:
- Tension. Even though the threads are compressed or stretched, they return to their usual place.
- Articulation. An object in a web can be rotated in one direction, but it will not twist or get tangled.
It is believed that the main function of the web is to catch prey. This is true, but it has a number of other important functions.
For food
Spider food caught in the net is immobilized there. And they often wrap the prey itself in a web.
For reproduction
Males may begin the act of courting a female by tugging at her web, thus attracting her attention. Some species leave seminal fluid on the web to fertilize the female.
For posterity
The eggs also develop in a cocoon of spider webs. Young animals are raised there for some time.
For life
Water spiders make cocoons underwater, leaving air in them for breathing. Those who build holes weave it around the inside of the home.
For guard
Some species weave leaves into the web, which act as puppets. Spiders move them when predators approach in order to deceive them.
Poisonous spiders
It's common to be afraid of spiders. Indeed, almost all of them are armed with poisonous claws, but only a few species are dangerous to humans. In the USA, you need to beware of two of them - the “brown recluse” ( Loxosceles reclusa
) and "black widow" ( Latrodectus mactans
). The length of the first is only 0.6 cm. This spider lives in the Midwest, often in homes where it hides behind furniture. At the site of its painful bite, an ulcer forms, which may never completely heal. The black widow spider is found throughout most of the United States. The bite of this species causes severe pain and can lead to death due to the neurotoxin injected into the wound. The female's body is shiny black with bright red spots. There is usually a red hourglass pattern on the underside of the abdomen. The male is much smaller than the female, but similar in coloring. The name “black widow” is explained by the fact that the female often eats her partner after mating, which, however, is a fairly common phenomenon among spiders. This species is not aggressive, and spiders usually try to hide from humans, but if picked up, they often bite.
Types of web
Depending on the type of spider, the shape of the finished web structure differs. This can be said to be a distinctive feature.
Usually there are 3-4 load-bearing threads, which are the basis of the structure and are attached to the base with connecting disks. Radial ones converge towards the center, and spiral ones create shape.
It’s curious, but the spider itself is not attached to its web and does not stick. It only touches the nets with the tips of its feet, and there is a special lubricant on them.
Round form
Round web.
This beautiful lightweight lace is a deadly weapon. The spider first makes a frame, then places radial fibers towards the center, and at the end the spiral threads are laid.
The prey falls into such a trap, and the hunter senses movement and gets out of the ambush. If a hole appears in the web, the spider completely weaves a new one.
Strong web
This is a design of a round or similar shape with a large diameter. A net with a large number of meshes is prepared to catch large prey. There is a hammock - a structure in which spiders settle and wait for their prey. It is flat, located like a horizontal mattress, from which vertical threads extend along the edges for fastening.
Variety of web.
Stretching technology
To be effective, a fishing net must be stretched between something - for example, between branches. When the first thread has been made long enough by its creator, he stops spinning and spreads out the spinning organs. So he catches the breeze. The slightest movement of the wind (even from the heated ground) carries the web to the neighboring “support”, to which it clings. The spider moves along the “bridge” (most often with its back down) and begins weaving a new radial thread. Only when the base is secured does it begin to move around the circle, weaving sticky transverse lines into it. It must be said that spiders are very economical creatures. They eat damaged or old cobwebs that turn out to be unnecessary, putting “recyclables” into a second round of use. And, according to the creator, it becomes old quite quickly, since the spider often weaves a web every day (or night, if it is a shadowhunter).
Where do spider webs actually come from?
To dispel a couple of myths, let's say that:
- The spider produces its thread using glands located in the abdomen.
- She doesn’t get out of his paws like the hero of comics and films.
- Excretion is provided by special papillae located at the bottom of the abdomen.
- It comes out of the anus, the web is not a waste product.
- Its composition does not particularly depend on the spider’s diet. The main thing is that there is sufficient nutrition.
- It is difficult to assess the labor productivity of spiders, but it is reliably known that spiders can continuously weave a thread several tens of meters long
. - This is all experimental data; in real life, small insects do not need such huge trapping nets.
- On the other hand, one can appreciate the scale of the tragedy if one of the plots of horror films about the invasion of these huge insects comes true in real life.
- The spider does not have any threads in its abdomen; the web is produced in a semi-liquid form and it solidifies only in air.
- It's hard to believe that such a thin thread can be so strong. But it’s all about the physical characteristics and chemical composition of the material.
Children often ask seemingly simple questions, but they cannot find the answer right away. Now you can explain to your baby in simple words where the spider gets its thread and why it weaves its ingenious webs. It’s better to remain silent about the “prospects” of an invasion of giant spiders; the writers’ fiction will remain just a fiction.
How to build a fishing net
The wind is the spider's best assistant in construction. Having taken out a thin thread from the warts, the arachnid exposes it to an air flow, which carries the frozen silk over a considerable distance. This is the secret way a spider weaves a web between trees. The web easily clings to tree branches, using it as a rope, the arachnid moves from place to place.
A certain pattern can be traced in the structure of the web. Its basis is a frame of strong and thick threads arranged in the form of rays diverging from one point. Starting from the outer part, the spider creates circles, gradually moving towards the center. It is amazing that without any equipment it maintains the same distance between each circle. This part of the fibers is sticky and is where insects will get stuck.
Interesting fact. The spider eats its own web. Scientists offer two explanations for this fact - in this way, the loss of protein during the repair of the fishing net is replenished, or the spider simply drinks water hanging on the silk threads.
The complexity of the web pattern depends on the type of arachnid. Lower arthropods build simple networks, while higher ones build complex geometric patterns. It is estimated that the female crosstail builds a trap of 39 radii and 39 spirals. In addition to smooth radial threads, auxiliary and catcher spirals, there are signal threads. These elements capture and transmit to the predator the vibrations of the caught prey. If a foreign object (a branch, a leaf) comes across, the little owner separates it and throws it away, then restores the net.
Large arboreal arachnids pull traps with a diameter of up to 1 m. Not only insects, but also small birds fall into them.
Cobwebs in the house - signs
According to popular belief, a lot of cobwebs in the house is a sign of wealth.
. However, it is useless not to specifically remove and leave a spider web throughout the apartment. This won't work.
In addition, for money and prosperity to come, comfort and harmony must reign in the family. Only then will the web be able to catch and delay good luck. Where there is misunderstanding, quarrels and discord in family relationships, such a sign about the web will not work. And the spiders themselves do not live long in such houses and apartments.
Waking up in the morning to see that a spider has woven a web on the ceiling right above the bed
, is a sign of quick success in some business. According to popular beliefs, it is recommended not to remove the woven spider web until the omen comes true.
According to signs, there are cobwebs in the corners of the apartment
indicates places where a lot of negative energy has accumulated. So the spider tells you where exactly the evil spirits have gathered, and where the house should be cleansed with a candle and prayer.
See a cobweb above the front door
or behind it is a sign of rumors and gossip. You should prepare for the fact that ill-wishers are weaving networks of intrigue behind your back.
Cobwebs found above or behind a door inside a house or apartment
, warns of deception and lies. If a young girl finds a web in such a place, this is a sign that her beloved guy is cheating. Under no circumstances should such a web be removed, as this can only worsen the situation.
See cobwebs in the kitchen
, for example, near the table; behind the stove, sink or wall cabinet; near the leg of a stool or near the windowsill, which means that the mistress of the house will soon have an assistant.
You can make a talisman from a cobweb found in your apartment. To do this, you need to carefully fold the collected web into a small canvas bag (sewn with your own hands and without a sewing machine). This amulet should be carried with you constantly - it will protect against all troubles and attract good luck.
Our ancestors believed that a spider weaves a web in the corner of the window.
- for good weather. It was believed that the coming day would be warm and without precipitation. However, this sign comes true if in such a web the spider itself sits in its center. If there is no spider in the web, this is a sign of rain.
If by chance hit the cobwebs on the window
, is a sign of a quick meeting with an old friend.
Accidentally tearing off a cobweb woven on a window
, - to a major quarrel with a loved one.
According to signs about spiders, see a torn web on the window
, - bad sign. This means that there will be a series of failures ahead both in your personal life and in finances.
To protect yourself from a bad omen, you need to carefully remove the spider’s web with a cloth (while trying to keep the spider itself alive), and then wash your hands and say: “All the bad things, go away, but the good things, stay with me.”
Cobwebs twisted outside the window
, protects from the evil eye and damage. However, she also warns that the inhabitants of the house have ill-wishers who spread gossip and lead intrigues.
See a spider weaving a web in your apartment
(wherever it is) is a generally good omen. But you can’t just tear off the spider’s web with your hands or a broom. It is better to carefully collect it and leave it outside the house.
Unique qualities of spider “textiles”
Despite the small size of the creators, the features of the web cause some envy on the part of the crown of nature - man. Some of its parameters are incredible even with the achievements of modern science.
- Strength. The web can break from its own weight only if the spider weaves it 50 meters long.
- Exceptional subtlety. An individual web is noticeable only when caught in a beam of light.
- Elasticity and resilience. The thread stretches 2-4 times without breaking, and without loss of strength.
And all these qualities are achieved without any technical equipment - the spider makes do with what nature has provided it with.
