spider web mystery

[andy b]

i've only seen this phenomenon once. an entire field covered in spiders webs.
the sun was at a very low angle in the sky and in this position reflected off masses upon masses of spiders web. had the sun not been as it was i would not have noticed. how do the spiders manage to cover such a big area in this way. are there millions of tiny spiders spinning ( of which i could'nt spot any) , or is there something more sinister afoot...... say a spider of ginormous proportions that nobody has every seen!!! seriously though i've not got a clue how this is done over such a large area.
the person in the photo, walking away from me, is my yougest son. you can see all the web blanket to his right.
incidentally, the field was not covered in individual webs, it was one mass.
any thoughts??

[Chocky]

I think you will find they are Cob's webs
There was a program on TV talking about the invasion of Harlequin ladybirds and it wen on to say they get caught in Cob webs, I can't remember all of it . I think it was a-Alan Tichmarsh. I often walk into a single stand right across my face.
Having said all that I could be completely wrong

[rolf]

As far as I know, these webs are caused by spiders making web lines and sailing off in one direction, it only takes a relatively small breeze to carry them aloft. You will notice that they are all in the same direction.

The term Cob is a derivation of the middle ages name Coppe, which was in turn derived from Attercop (atter = poison, coppe = head), Poison Head, Spider.

[Chocky]

Yes. That's what Alan Tichmarsh said. I couldn't remember all of that which he said they are made by tiny spiders sailing on a breeze. He didn't mention the middle English explanation of Cob though
Thought you might know Rolf.

[rolf]

I had to look up the etymology of the word.

[Chocky]

Lol. There is a Wooly Cob Spider with snow white fur but it's very big and lives iin Iceland

There is a jumping spider in the video section but they don't spin webs

Ha ha . It would be funny if you were looking up the etymology of Entomology

[ladylouise62]

Wonderful shots!
I've not hard of this phenomenon, but it looks stunning. I have seen it with a hedge completely covered, but I suppose that it's probably easy to miss... I only spotted the hedge (by which I pass daily) after a dew had been frozen on them... unless the spiders were all up late the night before and did them then
I suppose it's not that hard to imagine thousands of little spiders all at it at the same time. I had 2 nests of Orb spiderlings close together, which is thiusand of them just form 2 mummy spiders.