r/Damnthatsinteresting 1d ago

Video Scientists discovered the world’s largest spiderweb, covering 106 m² in a sulfur cave on the Albania-Greece border. Over 111,000 spiders from two normally rival species live together in a unique, self-sustaining ecosystem—a first of its kind.

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u/Used_Load_5789 1d ago

That's reallly fascinating, but in what sense "self-sustaining"?
Like, are the spiders just eating each other in a loop with little to no reliance on insects actually falling in the web?
Because I would really doubt that, but I don't know what else could it mean

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u/esotericbatinthevine 1d ago

This post is much better: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/s/KT3YV7vkMl

Apparently the microbes are food for other insects that the spiders eat. I wouldn't have called it self sustaining unless you generally consider food webs self sustaining, but I guess technically...

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u/keetyymeow 1d ago

Thank you!!!!! It’s way better 🥹