

It’s not quite a world wide web—but the spiders of Aitoliko in Greece have made a good start in covering their corner of the globe. Thick white spider webs blanket the coastal trees, bushes, and low vegetation of the western Greek town’s shoreline. The spider invasion won’t last forever. But for now it’s keeping mosquitos and other pests at bay.
Sticky white webs extend for about three hundred yards along the shoreline of Aitoliko. That town is built on an artificial island in a salt lagoon about 150 miles west of Athens. The webs are the handiwork of the Tetragnatha spider.
Tetragnatha spiders are a genus of spiders that contains hundreds of species. They’re commonly called “stretch spiders.” That’s because Tetragnathas can elongate their bodies by pulling their four front legs forward and their four back legs back. That makes these spiders appear less sprawling—and allows them to hide on narrow leaves or blades of grass.
Like other spiders, God created the Tetragnatha to make its web by extruding “silk” from silk-spinning organs called “spinnerets.” The Tetragnatha’s complex and sometimes large webs help these arachnids catch and hold their prey. The dense webbing also provides cover for them as they mate.
Scientists believe unusual weather in Greece caused this year’s gauzy spectacle. Biologist Maria Chatzaki is a professor and researcher in Greece. She says high temperatures and ample humidity helped bring about ideal conditions for spiders.
Another factor also contributed to 2018’s spider population explosion: bugs. Experts say lake fly numbers have rocketed in the weather conditions. Spiders fancy the flies. So with food a-plenty, they have reproduced quickly to take full advantage of the feast. Spurred into overdrive by a bounty of insects, thousands of little spiders and their accompanying webs have literally covered the area.
“It’s as if the spiders are taking advantage of these conditions and are having a kind of a party,” scientist Chatzaki says. Knowing that the spiders are eating the insects helps make their blanketing webs more welcome to Aitoliko residents.
As creepy as they seem, Tetragnatha spiders and their webs aren’t dangerous to humans. And Chatzaki doesn’t believe the thick webs will damage Aitoliko’s plant life.
She says, “The spiders will have their party and will soon die.”
(THIS IS ANDREW H.)
s-ss-p-p-p-p-i-i-d-ders-ss?!?!
I HATE spiders
I HATE spiders
Cool!
Cool and awesome, but I'm not sure I'd want to go there.
EWWWWWWWWWWWW GROSS
I would never ever go there i mean its cool and good that they can't hurt you but that is scary it would be a perfect area for a halloween party am i right?
COOL!- SORTA.
The spiders are helping us. But I feel better knowing that there's an ocean between all those spiders and me. I wouldn't like to tackle the job, of catching thousands of bugs. THANK YOU SPIDER!
I don't like spiders that
I don't like spiders that doesn't mean that I am afraid of them
Hayden and Raina
Actually, they aren't really gross. They're helping the environment and we shouldn't really act upset around them. When they see us they probably do the same thing, AHHHHHH HUMAN RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
S
Spiders! That is crazy, I personally do not like spiders. Little ones don't bother me that much, it is the big ones that bother me. I would not want to live on that island!!!!!!
Agree
I agree with HA
10th comment
those spiders have covered a lot of distance.
I agree with HA. It is cool
I agree with HA. It is cool that they are eating the bugs and I would be scared of humans if I were a spider too :)
wow! that just creeped me out
wow! that just creeped me out so much! I got the shivers.... :)
cool
that is sooooo cool
WOW
I am glad I do not live there.
Wouldn't want to live there
Wouldn't want to live there if I was an insect! that would be perfect for Halloween!!
wow that is a ton of web
wow that is a ton of web
Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"!!"
Iwwwwwwww¡!!!!!!!!!!! That's crooooosssss!! Aaaaaawwww!!!!that's ward!!!eeeekkk,!that's scary!!!! Oooooooo!!!I'm scared!!!
Oh goodness.
That's horrifying. I really don't like spooders. I'm really glad I don't live live there; if I did, I'd take a vacation for a month until the spiders were dead when I got back. :P
WOAH
Wow, those are some impressive webs.
The picture of the spider in
The picture of the spider in the slideshow is really weird. It kind of looks like its made of gel.
SPIDERS! I HATE THOSE THINGS!
SPIDERS! I HATE THOSE THINGS!
oof. thats a struggle
oof. thats a struggle
GROOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSS!!!
Eew! That's scary!
Rebekah, Rachel's sister
Okay, honestly I HATE spiders. But, I will ask all you spider haters, would you rather live in Greece with a not-even-1-inch long spider, or in Africa, with the 4-inch long Goliath Beetle? Huh? ;)
Rebekah, Rachel's Sister
Not-even-1-inch spider that makes a massive web.
I'd rather live in Greec
I'd rather live in Greec Africa has,bugs lions,snakes,monkies and reptiles!!!!
i want to eat it lol if i was a cat
did you know cats eat spiders
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww BUT IF THATS WHAT YOU WONT HAVE A CREEPY BUG AND NOT A CHIKON THAT FINE
Greek Island GETS WEBBED
WOW SO COOL I DO NOT MIND SPIDERS AND I LIKE SPIDERS WHEN THEY EAT BUG
i like it, but i hate how spiders look
I absolutely HATE spiders, their eyes even though they eat bugs. it is really cool though, that HUGE spider webs cover hundreds of yards, well let them fill their stomachs
Wow
That sounds interesting... I personally aren't a fan of spiders, but it would be cool to see all the web. Spider webs are very intricate!
Lord of the rings Rock!!!!!!
Lord of the rings Rock!!!!!!
@G.G
NO!!!!!
Mixed feelings about it
I guess it's kind of cool, but it's also a little terrifying to realize that just a bunch of spiders made that. Who knows what they'll do next?!
I would not like to see that
I would not like to see that ore be there. Yes, it's good the bugs are going away but i still would not like to be where a bunch of spiders and their webs are.
poor people living there
image having a beach house, looking out the window, and seeing all these webs every where, I HATE SPIDERS!! but it sounds like they aren't doing any damage though luckily, but i would still hate to see a bay like that.
scary
i don't care if it said they're not harmful to humans i would still move out of there as fast as i can.
NEAT
That is so gross. Imagine just walking on the beach and seeing that. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
wow
That's so weird! I don't like spiders, but it still would be cool to see.
I wouldn't want to live there
I wouldn't want to live there with all the spiders. In the picture there are so many webs that it looks like snow!
Yuck
Eww, so gross! I hate spiders! I mean, I know they are helpful and everything, but still!!!!
gross
i am not a fan of spiders and this would be horrible
If i lived there i would want
If i lived there i would want to evacuate because it would hard to live with all that spider web.
i dont u sually get that
i dont u sually get that afraid of spider but that would be to much. the webs look freaky
cool
cool
45th comment
wow 45 comments
OMg
OMg