11/05/2025
This is terrifying! the world’s largest spiderweb was found in a sulfur cave on the border between Greece and Albania. Over 111,000 spiders live together in this web in total darkness.
This is the first time scientists have seen these two common spider species, Tegenaria domestica (the barn funnel weaver or domestic house spider) and Prinerigone vagans, living together in such huge numbers and cooperating to build a massive web.
Normally, these types of spiders do not form groups or share space like this. The discovery surprised the researchers, especially because scientists expected that one species would hunt the other, but that does not happen in the cave, possibly because it is so dark that vision does not work well.
Instead of hunting each other, these spiders eat a type of small fly called non-biting midges. The midges themselves feed on slimy biofilms made by bacteria that live in the cave’s sulfur-rich environment.
The cave is very special because it was formed by sulfuric acid, and it has a stream that carries hydrogen sulfide, which helps the bacteria, midges, and spiders survive.
