Types of Spiderwebs
Web-weaving spiders are master architects of the natural world, instinctively creating intricate structures that serve as homes, traps, and nurseries. Although all spiders make silk, surprisingly only about half of the more than 51,500 species of spiders on Earth actually build webs. (Many spiders, such as wolf spiders and jumping spiders, are active hunters, whereas others, such as trapdoor spiders, lie in wait in burrows.) Spider silk is a remarkable substance: It is stronger than steel by weight and flexible enough to withstand wind and the thrashing of prey. Some spiders can make up to seven types of silk with different strengths, forms, and tackiness to meet the spider’s needs, and many webs utilize more than one silk type.
The webs of weaving spiders tend to fall into just a few main categories, the four best-known types being orb webs, sheet webs, tangle webs, and funnel webs. Each has a characteristic shape and represents a distinct strategy for catching prey. Orb webs, with their familiar spiral patterns, are perhaps the most recognizable. Sheet webs form flat, dense mats of silk, whereas tangle webs are irregular and sticky, built to ensnare insects that stumble through them. Funnel webs, by contrast, provide both a retreat for the spider and a snare at the tunnel’s entrance. Explore our interactive to learn more about these web types and the spiders that make them.