Turns out, this type of web is not created by a spider at all! It was created, most likely, by the caterpillar himself (or herself). Named as ‘web spinning caterpillars’, these little guys (or gals) are known to spin this thick silky webbing in order to attach themselves to plants and thus offer a very strong layer of protection from wind and rain.
The Fall Webworm is known to make large webs that can envelop the whole branch of a large tree (much like the one we saw). The caterpillar is adept at using the silk to pull leaves around his frail little body, offering protection from any predators that wish him harm.What a wake-up call for me (and I cannot wait to share this with my nearly nine-year-old son).
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