A 300-metre-long spider web that has covered the beach in Aitoliko, Greece has been making rounds on the internet, having covered everything from vegetation to the surface of the water.
The web that spans 1,000 feet is thought to be the product of spiders that belong to the Tetragnatha family, also known as stretch spiders due to their elongated bodies.
This species is very common in Europe and in the US and dwells near the water.
“These spiders are not dangerous for humans and will not cause any damage to the area’s flora,” molecular biologist Maria Chatzaki from the Democritus University of Thrace told Greek news website Newsit.gr.
“The spiders will have their party and will soon die. This phenomenon has arisen from a population explosion of this spider.”
“When an animal finds abundant food, high temperatures and sufficient humidity, it has the ideal conditions to be able to make large populations,” Chatzaki explains adding that this is not the phenomenon’s first occurrence.
“It can happen every two years,” she adds, attributing the incident to timing and ideal – for the spiders who are seeking food and to mate- weather conditions.
Chatzaki also pointed out that the increased number of spiders in the area should be seen as a positive since it is the only effective way nature has to combat mosquitoes which she notes have also been seen in the area in greater numbers than usual.
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