#architecture #amazing #spider #facts #dangerous #wasp #wildlife
Scientists Are Baffled by Newly Discovered “Silkhenge” Spider
This tiny structure is made up of two parts, a central spire on the inside and an outer (round) fence like structure, a little more than 0.5 cm in diameter. The entire structure is made of silk and there are threads attaching both the inner column and the outer ring.
This structure is amazing for so many reasons.
Firstly, it was only discovered as recently as 2013 by Troy Alexander in the Tambopota Research Centre in the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon. Originally, there was much speculation as to whether a spider was actually the creator at all. Some suggested it was the work of a caterpillar. Others thought it was a fungal structure of some sort.
Secondly, no spider has ever actually been seen creating these structures! Researchers did finally observe small spiderlings that had hatched from the central structure. Usually, there is just one solo spiderling, occasionally, there are two. This is extremely rare for spiders, as you are much more likely to find tens or even hundreds of eggs within the one egg sac. It is possible that the female spider that makes these structures makes many, maybe there are better chances of survival of the eggs is dispersed over a wider area. A literal case of not putting all your eggs in one basket?
The Silk henge spiderweb forms a fence around two or three eggs to protect the spider babies from parasitic wasps that paralyze spiders to feed their larval young
