Trapped in a Spider Web
May 26, 2022
Photographer: George Seielstad
Summary Author: George Seielstad
A backlit spider web is a thing of symmetry and beauty. However, it is also a trap, as this unfortunate bee has discovered. Although only a few micrometers across, the tensile strength of the spider web is very impressive. As is shown above, only two strands is sufficiently strong to support the combined weight of the bee and spider.
The second photo shows a more securely wrapped wasp, who was subsequently dragged up to the spider's hideout under the eaves of our garage. The two stages of entrapment spanned 21 minutes.