3,500 worldwide species, of which 180+ North America-based:
The orb-weaver family Araneidae accounts for one-fourth of all spider species.
The common name borrows upon the arachnid in question's spinning ball-like, circular, round, spiral, or wheel-shaped webs. Orb-weaving spiders claim two main body parts:
• the front (head) has eight low-vision eyes, mouth, eight touch-sensitive legs for detecting vibrations and moving, and small limb-like pedipalps for mating; and
• the rear (abdomen) has non-sticky and sticky, stretchy, strong silk-producing spinnerets.
Scientists describe:
• Darwin's bark spiders as producing the world's largest spider webs and strongest silks with ten times a bulletproof vest's resistance; and
• Three-inch (eight-centimeter) black and yellow Argiope spiders as bat-catchers.
Madagascar's orb-weaving spiders emerge as the largest, with a mature length of 4.7 inches (12 centimeters).
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