Chinese nymph vs. spider web

[-MK-]

A while ago, I released a bunch of nymphs (mostly L2s and L3s) into the foliage in my back yard, and one landed smack in the middle of a spider web. Since there was no spider (possibly eaten by one the mantids I released earlier this summer ) I decided to just watch for a minute and see what happened. After sitting there for a few seconds, the little mantis just calmly climbed out as if his legs were made of teflon! I found this particularly surprising since their little feet have such incredible grip on seemingly every other surface known to man.

Has anyone else observed such an escape, and are mantids known for their prowess at easily escaping from spider webs? Weird question, I know, but thanks for any insight.

 

[superfreak]

I dont know about prowess at escaping from webs - ive seen a great many hollow mantid corpses in spider webs...

 

[Vlodek]

If spider is not home I'm sure that even a small mantid could potentially escape from a web. I've seen few nymphs that just like Hudini escaped from such a deadly trap.

 

[-MK-]

I dont know about prowess at escaping from webs - ive seen a great many hollow mantid corpses in spider webs...

I'd imagine that the spiders (and their webs) where you live are quite a bit more formidable than the ones here in Chicago, though. I haven't seen any webs around here that an adult Chinese couldn't break loose from just with sheer strength, nor any spiders that would dare mess with a bug that size. The little nymph just walking right out of the web, though, was unexpected and cool.

 

[The_Asa]

Do spider webs have some kind of expiration date? As in, does the stickiness/hold eventually cease?

 

[-MK-]

Do spider webs have some kind of expiration date? As in, does the stickiness/hold eventually cease?

Haha - good question! The ones in my basement stay sticky well into winter, long after the spiders who spun them are gone. :blink:

 

[Katnapper]

Do spider webs have some kind of expiration date? As in, does the stickiness/hold eventually cease?

You have to look in the very bottom left corner of the web (and get out your reading glasses!). The Web Quality and Protection Act of 1997 requires spiders to spin expiration date information on each web now. You have to look close, sometimes it's hard to see... just like with our food product labels. :lol: