Army of spiders creates super web

Jason Wheeler | WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth

Show Caption Hide Caption 'Army of spiders' invades park, creates super web People are flocking to a north Dallas suburb to snap pictures of a giant spider web before it's gone. Thousands of spiders have gathered to form what's called a "communal web."

ROWLETT, Texas – For arachnophobes, a massive "communal" spider web in Texas might be the stuff of nightmares, but for others it's a sight to behold.

The web, located in Lakeside Park South in Rowlett, Texas, spans hundreds of feet and envelopes entire trees. And while no one knows exactly how many spiders live inside, the number is likely in the thousands, according to AgriLife Today, a publication from Texas A & M University.

The unusual sight has become a tourist attraction for the local community.

"I've never seen anything like this," Barry Clinger told WFAA-TV. Clinger took his grandkids to the park to view the mega-web. "I think it's just amazing," he said.

A similar web was reported in a nearby park in 2007. In that case, the spiders were identified as "Tetragnatha guatemalensis," Mike Merchant, an entomologist in Dallas, told AgriLife. The spiders that made the new web in Rowlett are likely the same.

Tetragnatha guatemalensis are not aggressive to other spiders and are not known to harm humans, according to Merchant.

Contributing: Lori Grisham