Scientists made one of the most unusual discoveries in the history of Arachnology: in a cave in Greece, a gigantic web was found, in which more than 111,000 spiders live, having woven the largest web in the world!
The discovery was made by a team of researchers led by István Urak from Sapientia University of Hungary, and the record-breaking web claims the title of the largest in the world.
The city of spiders with the original coexistence
The web covers approximately 105 square meters (over 100 square meters) on the surface of a wall in a narrow cave passage in the “Cave of Sulfur,” where complete darkness and humidity prevail continuously.
“The spider colonies, whose population exceeds 100,000, are often associated with the abundance of food in the local ecosystemic area,” explained Professor István Urak.
This colony consists of two species: Tegenaria domestica (house spider) and Prinerigone vagans (web-weaver spider).
This proximity between species is extremely rare and shows a unique form of symbiosis.
Why the cave became the ideal spider home
The cave is located near hydrogen sulfide springs (on the border with Albania), which feed a stream flowing into the Sarandaporos River.
The humid air and abundance of insects create ideal conditions for the spiders.
At the entrance of the cave, there is a cloud of flies, estimated at about 2.4 million.
This “living food resource” provides the gigantic colony with eternal nourishment.
“The main colony is located along the left bank of the sulfur stream, where around the water flocks of small flies constantly fly,” noted the researcher.
The structure of the gigantic web
The web is a multi-layered structure made up of thousands of conical webs.
The scientists examined 30 areas and, based on their calculations, estimated the total number of spiders. The density of the web is so high that it is impossible to distinguish the cave wall, it is completely covered by a white mesh of threads.
The photographs show how, under the flashlight’s beam, the threads spread out forming a dense ceiling beneath which the spiders hide and hunt.
Reproduction in the dark: A cocoon factory!
The cave serves not only as a shelter but also as a gigantic incubator.
The female Tegenaria domestica lay their eggs directly onto the web.
Each female produces between six and eight egg cocoons every 20–25 days.
The first cocoon usually contains up to 100 eggs, while the subsequent ones are smaller, but the abundance of eggs ensures the resilience of the population.
“We could not calculate the total number of cocoons, the density of the web does not allow it,” the researchers admitted.
Thus, the colony is constantly renewed: a new generation of spiders appears every few weeks, maintaining the population at record levels.
There are similar colonies
Scientists assume that similar “spider cities” may exist in other karst regions of Europe, but due to the difficulty of access, many caves remain... quiet.
If this hypothesis is confirmed, it will change the perception of spider behavior, as they were previously considered mainly solitary creatures.
(A cocoon is the protective covering formed by insects, such as spiders or other organisms, to protect their eggs.
In the case of spiders, the cocoon is the “egg sac” that contains the eggs and protects the larvae as they develop.)
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