Cave spiders use their webs in a way that hasn’t been seen before

European Cave Orb Spiders Use Unique Spinning Style to Capture Prey

Orb-weaving spiders are known for their intricate circular webs that capture flying insects like mosquitoes and beetles. However, European cave orb spiders, scientifically known as Meta menardi, have developed a unique spinning style to adapt to dark environments.

According to research conducted by Thomas Hesselberg at the University of Oxford, European cave orb spiders use twice as many silk strands to anchor their webs to cave walls. These additional strands create tripwires that vibrate when triggered by walking prey, such as unsuspecting insects.