Difference Between Cobwebs And Spiderwebs

Everyone in the world has seen a spider and one of the creepiest aspects of an arachnid is the fact that they always seem to be hanging from their webs at one point or another. We’re also aware of cobwebs as they can be found in attics, on books, or even in the corners of your home. Although cobwebs may look like spider webs at first glance, they are in fact quite different from one another.

What are Cobwebs?

When it comes to cobwebs you’ll be talking about a specific type of material that is used to spin a web based on the species of spider that once inhabited it. From the English word “coppe” (meaning spider), cobwebs have a history in old English. There are actually a species of spiders known as tangled web or cobweb spiders that are responsible for the production of these interesting webs. Generally a cobweb will be created out of a certain type of silk that is produced by the spider and they appear in a more 3D appearance than your average spider web. In most cases these spiders love to make their homes in the corners of your house or other types of sharp angles.

What are Spider Webs?

Spider webs are similar to cobwebs in the fact that they are also made by spiders, but their construction is unique to different species. For the types of spiders that have the ability to make more complicated, elegant, and sophisticated webs, they will be the ones known to make your average spider webs. Araneide, Nephilidae, and Tetragnathidae are just a few of the types of spiders that are well known for their webbing capabilities.

Occupied or Not

One of the most common factors that people take into consideration when they determine whether these structures are cobwebs or spider webs is whether they are occupied by an actual live spider. Most people refer to your typical spider web as something that has been recently spun by an active insect whereas cobwebs are uninhabited and haven’t been lived in for a long time. Although this cannot be seen as a scientific way of distinguishing the two it still makes a sufficient amount of sense because cobweb spiders are renowned for creating new webs and leaving them often so that they can venture off to new locations and begin building their new homes.

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