Named in honour of the naturalist Charles Darwin and discovered in Madagascar in the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in 2009, Darwin’s bark spider is less than an inch long, but its diminutive size doesn’t deter this itsy bitsy thing from building one of the world’s largest – and strongest – webs.
According to scientists, this 18mm spider spins one of the largest known orb webs; they can range up to 30 square feet (2.8 square meters) in size, some of the largest in nature, and dangle over streams, rivers and small lakes up to 82 feet (25 meters) across – about as long as two city buses!
Darwin's bark spider also spins the toughest silk ever seen — more than twice as tough as any previously described silk, and more than 10 times stronger than Kevlar.
A tiny little critter with amazing architectural talent...
My garden is full of spiders and it amazes me how beautiful their webs are. Nothing on the scale of this little Super-Spider though.
ReplyDeleteThose spider webs look especially gorgeous when the sun hits them after a rainfall!
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ReplyDeleteThis spider that you have shown us here is amazing and I wonder if he could come and work on my house? That web is much stronger than anything holding my house together!
By the way, did you see that I have given you an award? Check out my post from yesterday!
Love,
KAY
Hahaha...yes, it may very well be stronger than ALL of our houses.
DeleteThat is one determined spider!
ReplyDeleteA tiny little thing with such power!
DeleteI'm not a big fan of spiders but from a distance I can really appreciate them. Looking at pictures of them on my computer is a much happier experience that seeing one in my basement therefore I can tell you I'm amazed especially the part about the kevlar vest!
ReplyDeleteI think it would be quite alarming to see something like this inside our home!
DeleteAmazing! Now just one itsy-bitsy question: What the heck is it trying to capture in that HUGE web? Humans per chance?
ReplyDeleteWell...every year people go missing without a trace...so...
DeleteHoly smokes, that's amazing and extremely unsettling. LOL I love spider webs but I must admit. I'd be a bit disconcerted if I happened upon one that was 82 feet wide. I'd be high tailing it outta there.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine walking into something like this???
DeleteWow..amazing and just one more thing to LOVE about Spiders. Those creepy little fascinating things:)
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty amazing creatures!
DeleteNote to self... "Do not go to Madagascar. I can completely fit in one of those webs." Check.
ReplyDeleteHahaha...I know what you mean. I easily fit into one of these webs!
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