Home / Science / Massive Spider Colony of 111,000 Spiders Discovered in Sulfur Cave
Massive Spider Colony of 111,000 Spiders Discovered in Sulfur Cave
5 Nov
Summary
- Researchers find world's largest spider web in a cave on Greece-Albania border
- Web houses over 111,000 spiders, including 69,000 domestic house spiders and 42,000 sheet weavers
- Spiders feed on a dense swarm of 2.4 million flies in the cave
In a remarkable discovery, researchers have found what may be the world's largest spider web hidden deep inside a pitch-black cave on the border between Greece and Albania. The massive web, spanning an area of 1,140 square feet, is home to an astounding colony of over 111,000 spiders.
The spider colony is primarily composed of two species: 69,000 Tegenaria domestica, or domestic house spiders, and 42,000 Prinerigone vagans, a type of sheet weaver. This "extraordinary" spider mega-colony has taken up residence in the 'Sulfur Cave', a part of a larger cave system with springs that feed a sulfidic stream.
Researchers estimate that the cave is also home to a staggering 2.4 million flies, which provide a plentiful food source for the massive spider colony. The spiders' location near the cave entrance, where the fly swarm hovers above the sulfidic stream, allows them to easily access this abundant prey.
