What type of web do orb-weaver spiders build?

What type of web do orb-weaver spiders build? An orb web. It is the familiar spiral, wheel-shaped web made from radiating spokes and a curved capture spiral, usually stretched between plants, branches, or other supports.

Orb-weavers typically begin with a bridge line that drifts across a gap and attaches to another surface. They reinforce it, add a central Y-shaped framework, build nonsticky radii, and then lay a spiral of silk coated with tiny adhesive droplets. The spider usually travels on the dry structural threads and avoids the sticky capture spiral.

“Cobweb,” “sheet web,” and “funnel web” describe different web designs or, in some contexts, different spider groups. Cobwebs are usually tangled three-dimensional webs, sheet webs form flatter sheets, and funnel webs include a retreat leading into a tube. Although the name suggests that only the family Araneidae makes orb webs, similar wheel-shaped webs also evolved in related families such as Tetragnathidae and Uloboridae.

Many orb-weavers rebuild their webs regularly, often consuming the old silk first and spinning a fresh web at dusk. The design is both lightweight and strong enough to absorb flying insects, while the sticky spiral helps retain prey until the spider can bite and wrap it.