Net Casting Spider

This fascinating spider is high on my list of groovy critters. It gets its name due to the remarkable way it employs its web. Much like a man with a cast net, the spider holds the web aloft, waiting for suitable prey to come along. Then, with a flick of its legs, it flings the 'net' over the victim, ensnaring it at lightening speed. Following one or two venomous bites, the spider then settles down to feed.

An extremely elegant and 'hands-on' method of hunting.

The silk looks blue

Deinopis sp

Note the large eyes

Egg case

Seven Silks
All known spiders use at least three out of seven types of spider silk, but it seems no spider uses all seven

Spider silk is the strongest known natural fibre - at least five times stronger than steel, and yet it's flexible!.

In the past, it was common to use spider silk as a thread for cross-hairs in optical instruments such as telescopes, microscopes and telescopic rifle sights.