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Which Spider Makes the Largest Webs?

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Quick Answer

Darwin's bark spider of Madagascar builds the largest known orb webs, with bridge lines up to about 25 metres long across rivers.

The Full Story

Darwin's bark spider, Caerostris darwini, was described in 2010 and named in honour of the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. It builds orb webs up to about 2.8 square metres suspended over rivers and lakes. The webs hang from bridge lines that can stretch about 25 metres from bank to bank. Its silk is the toughest biological material known, absorbing more energy before breaking than steel or Kevlar. The spider likely catches insects that swarm over the water.

Key Facts

1.Female Darwin's bark spiders are much larger than males.
2.Scientists think the spider releases silk into the wind to cross rivers.
3.Its silk is about twice as tough as other spider silks.

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"The spider that spins webs across rivers."

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