Giant Spider Web Envelops Texas Park

Sprawling Web Blankets 200-Yard Stretch Of State Park In North Texas

(AP)  Entomologists are debating the origin and rarity of a sprawling spider web that blankets several trees, shrubs and the ground along a 200-yard stretch of trail in a North Texas park.

Officials at Lake Tawakoni State Park say the massive mosquito trap is a big attraction for some visitors, while others will not go anywhere near it.

"At first, it was so white it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, superintendent of the park about 45 miles east of Dallas. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown. There are times you can literally hear the screech of millions of mosquitoes caught in those webs."

As creepy as it is, it's not the work of one giant spider, but a community of thousands. No one knows exactly why the spiders joined forces, but it's a surprising level of cooperation among the eight-legged engineers that has even insect experts scratching their heads, reports Russ Mitchell, co-anchor of CBS News’ The Early Show.

“I think its just one of those freak occurrences, amazing things that nature does to wake us up,” Garde tells CBS News.

Spider experts say the web may have been constructed by social cobweb spiders, which work together, or could be the result of a mass dispersal in which the arachnids spin webs to spread out from one another.

"I've been hearing from entomologists from Ohio, Kansas, British Columbia - all over the place," said Mike Quinn, an invertebrate biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department who first posted photos online.

Herbert A. "Joe" Pase, a Texas Forest Service entomologist, said the massive web is very unusual.

"From what I'm hearing it could be a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said.

But John Jackman, a professor and extension entomologist for Texas A&M University, said he hears reports of similar webs every couple of years.

"There are a lot of folks that don't realize spiders do that," said Jackman, author of "A Field Guide to the Spiders and Scorpions of Texas."

"Until we get some samples sent to us, we really won't know what species of spider we're talking about," Jackman said.

Garde invited the entomologists out to the park to get a firsthand look at the giant web.

"Somebody needs to come out that's an expert. I would love to see some entomology intern come out and study this," she said.

Park rangers said they expect the web to last until fall, when the spiders will start dying off.

[docgalen]

Aaaaaaargh!!!!!

[kommoncents-2009]

Boy it must be a slow news day when the giant spider web is making all the news sites.

[extremophil]

So the headline says "Giant Spider Web Envelops Texas Park". Nice touch of sensationalizm there. I can just picture thousands of tourists screeming for their lives as the giant spiders come to ravage their flesh.

[prairiefox1]

Better than "off" for mosquito control!

[actornaught]

Very interesting article, a little ''heads up'' about some interesting probable research.

[susieq_13]

That is awesome. I don''t like spiders, but this is very interesting.

[jshmks]

Ayo that''s charlotte''s web son.

[timbobmc-2009]

I''d certainly rather hear about giant spiderwebs than suicide bombers and innocents being killed. Bravo, spiders. Thanks for the slow news day.

[beadazzle]

Spiders oh yuck,but it is an interesting story. Ok who''s going to make a movie from this? lol

[skyz00]

it is news ~ or do you need ph ll or bs posing there of hillary or obama of elvis ~ interesting to know that spiders can work together as architects and engineers to create a resource for sustainably sustainment ~ if we knew how they did it ~ we would be a lot smarter ~ if we could do it ourselves well there a possible web of fine fantasy of future beauty

[rushlimpdrug]

and if you get close to the web you can hear one little man-fly saying, "help me!"

[uhf62]

This giant web was brought to you,courtesy of your friendly neighborhood spiderman.

[catherine195]

I HATE spiders - this is a real freak-out!!! I did forward this to a research associate in the Entomology Dept here at Ohio State - at least someone will appreciate this. If I found something like this in my backyard, I''ve have to be moving!!!

[rafterman1]

===Ok who''''s going to make a movie from this?===

Dude, they''ve already been made. Sci Fi channel alone has made like 20 spider-monster movies this year alone! :)

[rach216-2009]

Only one word: EW!

Quite often I step out on to my porch only to walk through a giant spider web...yuk!!! I can''t imagine walking into something like that!!

[WumpusEatsU]

Of course, there''s a product opportunity here for those who can harness the power of the spider web, and who also happen to hate mosquitos...

[erasmus6]

A few years ago, on the news, it showed this fence that was completely covered in this white stuff. It was a spiders web. It was on a farm, I think and it was a very long fence. It was very CREEPY!

[grammawhamma]

Where I live we have a smaller version of webs like that covering trees but it''s caused by tent caterpillars.

[nlm2383]

Nothing a lighter or match can''t get rid of... I would burn that down in a second, hopefully get the spider(s) with it.

[jetranger7]

Well in my own Opinion, I think what should really be done is,, Gather up all those Spiders and the Webs, and send them to the Middle East, somewhere, and let them Spin their Webs over there, and I''ll just bet, they''d catch "Osama Bin Laden", since our Government isn''t intersteaded in doing it anymore !! My bets on the Spiders ! Go Spiders-Go !!! :):):)

[Razzl]

People don''t realize what intelligent creatures spiders are; you probably have thousands in the walls and dark places of your own house, dozens of different species, hunting like microscopic lions for the other critters living in the dust. Web-spinners aren''t even the most common types, most are single hunters moving around and staying out of your view, because they know you''re out there and they avoid you. I try not to kill any in my house unless they find their way to my space, which they''re pretty good about respecting...

[blackbug99]

I think millions of dead mosquitos are worth the bother of walking around it.

[Krazcarl]

I''ve see barns in Maine with 100''s of webbs huge webs just ugly barn spiders as big as 50cent pieses the webbs 10 and 15 fooot in diameter and webs just a couple of feet apart. Insect are creatures of oppertunity like most people as long as there is chow they will spin web you really don''t need a college degree and a lot of letters after your name to figure that out.

[sofi2hot]

where were these spiders when the west nile disease was haunting us???? not so smart with thier timing..

[superlezbo]

Nothing a lighter or match can''''t get rid of... I would burn that down in a second, hopefully get the spider(s) with it.
Posted by nlm2383

nlm2383 is:
A. a completly ignorant uneducated moron
B. a useless 12 year old girl
C. another warped thoughtless inhumane Vick
D. all of the above

[Khasmin]

I was in Jamaica several years ago and that was the first time I ever saw giant spider webs. They were often stretched between telephone poles and trees. What really freaked me out was not just the sheer size of the webs, but the huge spiders that were dispersed throughout these creations. They were high off the ground for the most part and functioned to capture almost any flying insect. As I said spiders were big, numerous and black and I still remember thinking what an experience it would have been to have inadvertantly walked into one of these webs because it truly would have been a nightmare come true.

[Krazcarl]

By the way a scientific fact if not for our 8 legged friends the earth would be covered with a 3 foot mass of other insects in months....

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

*heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

*heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beaten with sticks..."" *

* heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

* heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

* heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

* heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

* heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[mrmuckle2u]

""There is nothing more beautiful than a dew-covered spiderweb in the early morning sunlight. Spiders, on the other hand, should be beat with sticks..."" *

* heard many years ago.

Newqueler, said the Resident.

[cride1]

I wasn''t surprised to read that insect experts were scratching their heads about the behavior of the spiders. Spiders aren''t insects. These experts would obviously have no clue about spiders.

[lucious9]

It''s global warming; it''s Bush''s Fault

[abbe91]

When I find a spider in my house, I just get a piece
carton, get the spider on it and gently take it outside. When I find a fly in my house, I kill it.

[newquest--2008]

Gather up the web. Its stronger and lighter than steel and can be made into a wonderful sweater for the fall which would double as body armour.

[hhusted]

Spiders may be ugly and some fear them, but spiders are actually mens best friend because they kill all those insects that we don''t like and that could harm us.

[suebnampa]

These little creatures are going to go where the food is, and it appears that there is a cornucopia of insects in that part of the park for them to feast on.

[ov442]

they also enter your mouth at night while youre sleeping and you accidentally swallow them, or they sit in your shoe and bite your foot when you put it back on, or hide in your curtain an swooop down on you and attack when you go to open the window. Or they just crawl around on you and give you to heebiejeebies.

[moosegal]

I have been looking at this strange event from a few angles and although I am not an expert, I have to wonder if this has something to do with the mosquitoes, the sprays to stop the spread of west nile virus and it maybe the mosquitoes having come in contact with the sprays. Is it possible that the chemically infected mosquito could pose a threat to the spider population? If there is a risk of the spiders extinction in that area, is it possible that mother nature provided them with a sixth sense about the danger and the natural instinct on how to fix it? Has any of the mosquitoes or spiders been tested for chemical exposure? So many questions ...

[jboxton]

Shoot..when there''s ***** on the back porch mama just brushes ''em off with a broom

[guerlane-2009]

Hey TiJon got news for you.

The biggest bloodsucker of tax dollars right now is George W. Bush. He''s able to get away with it because people like you are overly obsessed with whatever the media and conservative groups tell them to be obsessed about.

Do we need immigration reform - Yes, we do. Is this more important than getting out of the cash sinkhole that is Iraq - Not even close.

[john_allman]

And yet I.T. industry employers still keep moaning that there''s a "skills shortage" of "web developers"?

John(dot)Allman(at)thatfund.org