Spiders are invertebrate creatures in the araneae order of the
class arachnida in the phylum arthropoda. A spider has up to
eight eyes, eight legs and seven silk-producing glands in its
abdomen. These glands secrete proteins that are extruded through
spinnerets to produce different kinds of silk. Many spiders,
particularly orb, funnel, sheet and cob-weaving spiders, use
this silk to build webs with which to catch prey. We’ll focus on
orb-weavers because their webs are the most recognizable. Their
webs are complex nets of strong dragline threads (frame, spokes)
radiating out from the center; and elastic, sticky catching
threads spiraling into the center. An orb-weaver begins its web
with radial and framework threads using dragline silk, providing
a foundation upon which to spiral the sticky catching threads.
The spiders then create an auxiliary spiral to help the radial
threads support the spider’s weight as it builds. Next, the
spider uses, and subsequently destroys, the auxiliary spiral as
a guide to create