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Giant Spiderweb Cloaks Land in Aitoliko, Greece (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the meanwhile-in-Greece dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Warmer weather conditions in western Greece have led to the eerie spectacle of a 300m-long spiderweb in Aitoliko. A vast area of greenery has been covered by the web, reports the Daily Hellas. Experts say it is a seasonal phenomenon, caused by Tetragnatha spiders, which can build large nests for mating. An increase in the mosquito population is also thought to have contributed to the rise in the number of spiders. Maria Chatzaki, professor of molecular biology and genetics at Democritus University of Thrace, Greece said high temperatures, sufficient humidity and food created the ideal conditions for the species to reproduce in large numbers. She told Newsit.gr: "It's as if the spiders are taking advantage of these conditions and are having a kind of a party. They mate, they reproduce and provide a whole new generation. "These spiders are not dangerous for humans and will not cause any damage to the area's flora. The spiders will have their party and will soon die."

14 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Siderman, we built you a new home by pgmrdlm · · Score: 2

    Hope you like it... You now have room for guests.

    --
    Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
    1. Re:Siderman, we built you a new home by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      You now have room for guests.

      Wi nøt trei a høliday in Grëëcë this yër? See the løveli lakes . . . The wøndërful telephøne system . . . And mäni interesting furry spiders

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  2. Futurama Quote by mykepredko · · Score: 3, Funny

    Reading in TFA how the spiders die after the "party" was finished made me think of the Futurama episode "Why must I be a crustacean in love?" in which Zoidberg loses his chance for mating.

    Fry: So you have to choose between life without sex and a hideous, gruesome death?
    Dr. Zoidberg: Yes.
    Fry: Tough call.

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    1. Re:Futurama Quote by Ogive17 · · Score: 2

      Last week I found a headless preying mantis on my front porch. At least we know what choice he made.

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
  3. Nope... by bosef1 · · Score: 2

    Nope, uh-uh, no way, no, burn it with fire...

    1. Re:Nope... by E-Rock · · Score: 2

      They're eating mosquitoes. That's got to be points in their favor.

    2. Re:Nope... by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 2

      I started down the "burn them with fire" road, until I read that part about the mosquitoes. I hate them worse. Yeah, okay then, have your party little spiders. The enemy of my enemy is my friend (for now... kinda).

    3. Re:Nope... by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      I started down the "burn them with fire" road, until I read that part about the mosquitoes. I hate them worse. Yeah, okay then, have your party little spiders. The enemy of my enemy is my friend (for now... kinda).

      I prefer the spiders, they keep the insect population at bay.

      Once a wasp decided to create a nest outside the door to our secondary suite. It didn't last long - the nest stayed tiny, but the next year, the number of spider webs (all inhabited by spiders big and small) were plentiful. Never encountered any wasps, either.

      Ugly scary looking things, but hey, they eat the little critters that serve to annoy me, so they're doing a good job there. I don't recall getting bit by mosquitoes or harassed by fruit flies, either, so the spiders can stay. And they do it for free, and are environmentally friendlier than bug spray.

    4. Re:Nope... by commodore64_love · · Score: 2

      When I find a spiderweb in my home I leave it there. The spider is harmless, but the other insects it catches are deadly or disease-ridden. I figure the spider is like the beneficial bacteria in my intestine... contributing to my well-being.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  4. Now it begins! by DrTJ · · Score: 4, Funny

    It will be our undoing. This is the first sign of a world wide web!

  5. Kinda familiar by bobdehnhardt · · Score: 2

    The spiders will have their party and will soon die.

    Just like college...

  6. Children of Time by Allasard · · Score: 2

    Reminds me of this great sci-fi book I just read. If you ever wanted to know what spiders might think about the world.
    Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    1. Re:Children of Time by commodore64_love · · Score: 2

      > 1 New Hardcover from $1,060.11

      WOW. For that price this "book" better be a 100-volume encyclopedia. I'm trying to imagine anyone who would pay that much for a scifi novel.

      --
      "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  7. Giant Spiderweb Cloaks Land by weilawei · · Score: 2

    I've never seen a whole cloak made out of spiderweb! Much less a flying one.

    Neato.