
Frontinellina frutetorum, the flying spider
Reference for identification: http://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/Spiders/Linyphiidae/Linyphiidae.htm
This species is a so-called "sheetweb weaver". It builds horizontal webs held in place with the support of a few vertical lines. Insects flying into the vertical lines fall onto the horizontal web, after which the hanging spider bites them through the web.
Sheetweb weavers are amazing in other ways as well. They can fly. They position their body in a specific angle and release silk. They keep releasing enough silk until the force of the wind hitting the silk beats the gravity of the weight of the total package. They can cover enormous altitudes (up to 10km high, as reported by airline pilots), as well as enormous distances. This is why they are found in nearly every habitat in the world, even in the arctic.
Due to their phenomenal distribution skills, they are often to first living thing to return to spots where life was wiped clean in caste of disasters.
Contrary to the look of the photo, it is taken during daytime. I only changed the exposure to place emphasis on the structure of the web.
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