You've seen large spider webs, but surely none as vast as this 30-plus square meter, sphere-like, gigantic web!
On the morning of April 15, Mr. Lin, a forest ranger in Dehua, Fujian, discovered a massive spider web hanging in an area at the foot of a mountain. It resembled a hemisphere cut in half, draped over trees, creating a rather eerie atmosphere.
"The giant spider web is estimated to cover more than 30 square meters. It wasn't as noticeable yesterday, but today it's grown so large. I wonder how big the spider might be, as the web is covered in caterpillars."
What kind of creature could weave such a large web in such a short time?
The forest ranger, both amazed and puzzled, decided to capture video footage and share it online.
Netizens erupted in speculation, with comments ranging from the imaginative to the absurd:
Some suspected it was a spider with supernatural abilities, dubbing it the entrance to the "Spider Cave";
Others, with even wilder imaginations, speculated it was a creature imbued with magical powers, possibly extraterrestrial in origin;
And then there were those who proposed it might be an invasion of foreign spiders, citing similar occurrences in Australia on multiple occasions.
In June 2021, a continuous spider web spanning over a kilometer appeared in Victoria, Australia. The thin layer blanketed vegetation, presenting a spectacular sight surpassing the 30-square-meter spider web in Fuzhou, China.
According to media reports, these spider webs appeared after the flood disaster. Residents evacuated urgently and found the webs upon their return.
At the time, the residents were also shocked, suspecting that unidentified creatures had invaded their homes after they left, fearing the onset of a "spider apocalypse."
However, scientists found this phenomenon to be quite beautiful:
"When the sun sets and the sunlight hits this thin layer of silk, the breeze makes it ripple across the ground like waves. It’s absolutely stunning!"
Scientists remain unfazed, as they've discovered that the architects behind the colossal silk blankets aren't giant spiders after all, but rather a group of unassuming small spiders.
These diminutive spiders could be native Australian wandering spiders, measuring only 20 millimeters in length.
Before the floods hit, they opt for "ballooning," collectively migrating to higher ground.
Ballooning, one might say, is a superpower among spiders, essentially meaning that some spiders can fly.
Before taking flight, it tiptoes, lifts its abdomen, and sprays silk skyward.
After shooting out several or even dozens of strands, these threads form a triangular, web-like structure. This triangular contraption acts like a kite. With just a gentle breeze, the "kite" lifts the spider off the ground.
This signifies that the spider has taken flight, but where it lands is uncertain; it's all up to luck.
With good fortune, it lands safely, carried by the wind. With bad luck, it might become prey for other predators or land in a perilous spot.
For spiders, ballooning is a risky endeavor with a high mortality rate.
This time, the reason so many Australian spiders are ballooning is due to impending floods. They need to save themselves, so they choose to take the risk.
The spiders that successfully balloon tend to land in concentrated areas. After millions of spiders land, they spin webs together, creating a vast, blanket-like expanse of white.
In 2012, Australia witnessed a phenomenon reminiscent of the spider webs in Pakistan. In March of that year, rural landscapes were blanketed with interconnected spider webs, creating a surreal scene akin to freshly fallen snow. Residents even encountered what's colloquially known as "spider rain," as spiders took to the skies in what seemed like a collective flight, occasionally landing on unsuspecting humans below.
The mystery of the giant silk threads in Dehua, Quanzhou, is not as simple as it seems. While spiders might struggle to weave such a massive web overnight, there's another possibility: the tussock moth caterpillar.
During the filming, forest ranger Mr. Lin revealed that there were no spiders in sight, only vast numbers of caterpillars.
Tussock moth caterpillars are notorious pests, favoring economic crops like apples, pears, and peaches.
Their adult form is known as the tussock moth, and their egg-laying behavior is distinctive; they arrange their eggs in "top-needle-shaped" clusters around tree branches.
A single egg ring contains 200 eggs, which hatch into larvae in spring and then parasitize on tree branches. Their favorite food is tender leaves of the branches. During the day, they spin webs everywhere, and at night, they come out to forage.
From the way they lay eggs, it's easy for tent caterpillars to cluster together, which can lead to the formation of tent-like webs.
Forest ranger Mr. Lin mentioned: "In the past patrols, I have also seen tent caterpillars clustering and weaving webs, but they were usually just a few square meters. It's really rare to see a web as large as over 30 square meters like now."
The local forestry bureau also promised to arrange personnel to inspect as soon as possible. If they are indeed tent caterpillars, they will immediately take action to exterminate the pests.
