from:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/12/0912web.html
Spider families spun massive insect buffet together
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
WILLS POINT — A variety of spider species built on one another's work to create a sprawling web that blanketed hundreds of yards of trees and shrubs at a North Texas park, according to entomologists who studied the unusual formation.
Heavy rains early this summer created prime feeding conditions for the spiders, which worked collectively to spin a web that nearly covered a pond ripe with mosquitoes and other insects.
"Normally, they are cannibalistic, and their webs are separated," said Allen Dean, a Texas A&M University entomologist. In this case, "they live in harmony because there's so much food available."
The web covered 200 yards along a trail at Lake Tawakoni State Park, about 45 miles east of Dallas.
The August discovery of the massive web spurred debate among entomologists about its origin and rarity.
Mike Quinn, a biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, collected spiders from the trees and sent them to Texas A&M.
Dean studied 250 specimens and identified 12 families of spiders in the same web. He said the most prevalent is from the Tetragnathidae family, which typically weave individual orb-shaped webs.
Arachnid expert Hank Guarisco of Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., came to Texas to take a look. He camped at the park, observing the spiders at night because some of them are nocturnal. He said he was impressed with the variety of spiders contributing to the web.
"Tetragnathidae are usually solitary spiders who build their own webs and mind their own business," he said. "Here, they are sharing a lot of foundation strands that are all over the place."
Heavy rains and winds have weighted or torn down much of the web, park volunteers said. Researchers said the spiders are still weaving fresh webs between storms.
Quinn said there continue to be lots of egg sacs, which can hold dozens or hundreds of eggs.
"The females are fat and happy," Quinn said. "They have done well so far by laying so many eggs that the spiders continue to prosper.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/12/0912web.html
Spider families spun massive insect buffet together
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
WILLS POINT — A variety of spider species built on one another's work to create a sprawling web that blanketed hundreds of yards of trees and shrubs at a North Texas park, according to entomologists who studied the unusual formation.
Heavy rains early this summer created prime feeding conditions for the spiders, which worked collectively to spin a web that nearly covered a pond ripe with mosquitoes and other insects.
"Normally, they are cannibalistic, and their webs are separated," said Allen Dean, a Texas A&M University entomologist. In this case, "they live in harmony because there's so much food available."
The web covered 200 yards along a trail at Lake Tawakoni State Park, about 45 miles east of Dallas.
The August discovery of the massive web spurred debate among entomologists about its origin and rarity.
Mike Quinn, a biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, collected spiders from the trees and sent them to Texas A&M.
Dean studied 250 specimens and identified 12 families of spiders in the same web. He said the most prevalent is from the Tetragnathidae family, which typically weave individual orb-shaped webs.
Arachnid expert Hank Guarisco of Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., came to Texas to take a look. He camped at the park, observing the spiders at night because some of them are nocturnal. He said he was impressed with the variety of spiders contributing to the web.
"Tetragnathidae are usually solitary spiders who build their own webs and mind their own business," he said. "Here, they are sharing a lot of foundation strands that are all over the place."
Heavy rains and winds have weighted or torn down much of the web, park volunteers said. Researchers said the spiders are still weaving fresh webs between storms.
Quinn said there continue to be lots of egg sacs, which can hold dozens or hundreds of eggs.
"The females are fat and happy," Quinn said. "They have done well so far by laying so many eggs that the spiders continue to prosper.
) is that the males are easy to spot because of their generally smaller bodies, which makes their legs seem longer..but most notably, they have bulbs on their pedipalps (palps for short..the leglike appendages flanking the mouth), and MOST have hooks on the front pair of legs..not all have the hooks which makes for some hairy situations during mating. that's cause they use the hooks to push back the females fangs which gives them access too where they have to stick the bulbs. 
