Flying Spiders!!!!!!!!

Today I noticed something very strange up in the sky. I live in the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia, and today I looked up in the sky and saw thousands of what seemed to be these white strings floating around in the air. They just looked like strings of spider web floating around. They varied in size and thickness and there were some high in the air and some low in the air!

I managed to grab a low-flying string to investigate and on the end of the string was a tiny little spider!

The only thing I could think of is that this is part of this spiders life cycle.... maybe when they hatch they use part of the web to catch a ride on the wind to find their new home? Maybe this is how they spread their species????

Has anyone else ever seen this or know what it was?


[Mod Edit - Remove all Caps in title]

Mod Note Please Review: General ATS discussion etiquette


[edit on 26/4/2008 by Sauron]

Yeah, i don't know the name of the spider, but some species sopin a little parachute like thing when they've hatched. the wind catches it and pulls them along for a ride. Occasionaly I get to see it myself, think it's pretty neat what they are able to do.

I should have pictures of this because where I live it happens at least once a year. I think others have discussed it here before so you could try googeling it at the top of the page. I am suspicious of them, it just does not seem right to me either when it happens.

This is not uncommon, they are called balloon spiders i think, But thanks for reminding me that spider season has started

it is really neat that they fly like that, but it sucks too, because now I dont just have to worry about the funnel webs in the yard or the red backs in the dunny... I gotta be worried about the air-raid spiders too!

Unless I'm mistaken, this happens at the end of Charlotte's Web, no?

reply to post by TheDragon


Y'know, I was going to mention that but forgot to? Yeah, it does, or, at least it does in the movie. i don't remember if it did or not in the book.

This is something many species of spiders do. It is called 'ballooning' and they do it by releasing a long thread of silk to catch the wind and carry them to distant areas.

This is very common in young spiders.

Originally posted by TheDragon
Unless I'm mistaken, this happens at the end of Charlotte's Web, no?

Yep, you're correct. Great book.

reply to post by Creedo


Wonderful a flying Funnel Web Spider.. how do you guys do it "down under"? I mean the nasties that haunt that place,,what the "Brown Snake" the world most poisonous snake.."shelias" the size of mamoths..(just joking)

reply to post by jbmitch


Well, you get used to it... wat u really got to watch out for is drop bears and the boxing kangaroos.... as for the sheilas, if you stay away from the bogan pubs, you will usually be safe! Oh, and I believe the worlds most venomous snake is actually the inland taipan (fierce snake). But browns are scary too!

reply to post by just_julie


hi julie it's called "ballooning" spiders use it to get around check it out ----->info site tried to find a video (a good one) but had no luck here is what i did find, hope this helps.

[edit on 27-4-2008 by miguelbmx]

Dont forget the Wombats.. thats a dangerous fella their,,Black with wings come screening outa of the night hit yah right in the wom! hehe
Drop Bears Kohala's?
Well I was first R&R from PNG so anything that looked remotely "light" and female was fair game..no one to blame but myself. Auzzzie's are straight up in my book! cheers

I don't see anything really strange about it exept the fact that meybe witnessing it could be very rare. Arachnids have very strange methods of eating and getting around. I'm sure there is some species that does this and even one that does something stranger.

Just watch Charlottes Web.

Oh man I loved that movie when I was a kid.

I actually never minded spiders when I was young. But then something changed somewhere (don't remember when) and now I am terrified of them.

I came close to being bitten by a Redback in NSW Australia back in 1985 while visiting a cemetary. Had a shower with a tarantuala (white one that never seen the sun) in the outback. LOL It was on the wall of the shower. I never seen it until I was part way into my shower. Yeah I bolted out of there screaming.

Then nearly 16 years ago I was bitten on the wrist by a Wolf spider in BC. I was wearing garden gloves too and was tending my rose bushes. I saw that my wrist was inflamed but I thought I was pricked by thorns. The next day my vein was a strange color and the line went from my wrist to the inner side across my elbow (where they usual extract blood with needles - soft part.) I had to get a needle for the venom.

Then a couple of years ago here in Saskatchewan while I was upstairs in my studio running my radio show with guest Brian Vike on the line, an adult male Brown Recluse spider tried to attack me. (Thank god for my quick reflexes) I never knew those dang spiders were in our parts.

A couple days after that I was running my bath water. I went to remove the facecloth which was hung over the water spout but changed my mind. Turned around to undress and then heard a loud splash in the water. I turned and saw another recluse. Apparently it was hiding under the face cloth. When the water got too hot it jumped and landed into the water. Had I picked that cloth up it would have got me.

I tell you, I could not sleep for a long time because I was so paranoid that one was going to get me. I really don't like them.

Sorry for the stories! LOL. I didn't mean to get off track. I have always noticed young spiders use the wind to travel with their threads. So long as they do it away from my face when I am walking around outside.

[edit on 10/22/2008 by BindareDundat]

Could have been this guy right here

I have a pin! Stand back

~heats the end of the pin with the flame from a lighter~

reply to post by mopusvindictus




FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY

reply to post by just_julie


Tonight's Monster Quest (Oct 22) is about giant spiders. If you are squeamish about these critters, you might want to watch it behind the couch!