Everything is bigger in Texas, even the spiderwebs. More than just creepy, a massive spider web in Texas was also a surprising revelation for many arachnologists (people who study spiders). When an enormous spider web was discovered at Lake Tawakoni State Park, located just over 30 miles from Rowlett, Texas, it served as evidence that spiders can work together to weave a communal web. This surprised many experts, who had previously thought spiders only worked alone.
That first giant web was discovered back in 2007, and the spiders behind its construction were found to be Tetragnatha guatemalensis. Since then, another huge web has been seen in the Rowlett area, draping the trees in the Dallas suburb like an eerie shroud, the perfect decoration for a witch’s woods.
Video: YouTube/SportsGhost
The second giant web was discovered in 2015 along CA Roan Drive, which runs through Lakeside Park South. The web was a truly bizarre sight. Arachnophobes undoubtedly preferred to stay far, far away, but for others, there was a strange kind of beauty in the gossamer weavings.
The number of spiders who called the web home was likely in the thousands. If the thought of an army of spiders working together sends chills down your spine, we can’t really blame you. Fortunately, however, an urban entomologist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension noted that these spiders are not known to be harmful to humans.
Photo: Facebook/San Antonio Trail Company
The web in Rowlett became quite the tourist attraction for a while, with visitors remarking that they’d never seen anything like it before. For arachnophobes, the web was the stuff of nightmare, but if you can get past the creepiness factor, maybe you can see it for what it truly is: a work of art by mother nature herself.
If a similar giant web makes an appearance in Texas any time soon, we’ll be sure to let you know. Just don’t get so close that you end up stuck!
