Spider web with stone hanging?

NatureTrainee · #1 (**permalink**) 17-09-2010, 08:01 AM

Hi there
I am after some expert help!
I received an enquiry yesterday at work from a gentleman who has an orb web hanging from the guttering on his garage roof which had a gravel pebble (from his drive) hanging from the bottom. In his opinion this stone was creating the tension which allowed the rest of the web to be spun. As he doesn't like spiders he brushed the web away. Two days later the web was back with another stone hanging in the same way.
Has anyone heard of this?
It sounds fascinating but I haven't come accross this before.
I have asked the gentleman to send me some photographs but this may take some time....
Thanks

No.9 Spider · #2 (**permalink**) 17-09-2010, 09:52 AM

I've have come across this before now in literature and in a smaller species I once kept (some species of Theridiidae or Linyphiidae I think) so it is recorded. I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of our larger orb weavers though. I'll try to dig out a reference next week as I'm just setting off for the Nurburgring, Germany in a mo'

, should be a wet ride no doubt

.

No.9 Spider