net-casting spider

Net-casting spiders, also known as ogre-faced spiders (family Deinopidae), are a small family of spiders found primarily in tropical regions. They are named for their unusually large eyes, which give them an ogre-like appearance.1

These spiders are unique in their hunting method. Instead of building a traditional web to trap prey, they construct a small, flat web that they hold among their front legs. In the evening, they cast this web over passing insects. The spider then abandons or consumes the web in the morning and rests during the day before constructing a new one. This specialized hunting technique distinguishes them from many other spider species that rely on stationary webs.2