Huge spider web: The high temperatures have made for ideal mating conditions

A tranquil beachfront has been transformed by the starving spiders. A giant web spanning 1,000ft has mysteriously appeared overnight in Aitoliko, a city in western Greece. The spiders are from the genus Tetragnatha, known as stretch spiders due to their elongated bodies. They are known to build webs near watery habitats, with some species even said to be able to walk on water.


A video shows the web’s thick blanket cloaking trees, bushes and shrubberies near the shore, with a quick shot of two spiders that appear to be mating. The region’s high temperatures have formed ideal conditions for the spiders, who quickly transformed the shrubbery into a mating den to have their own “party”. An increase in the mosquito population is also thought to have contributed to a large number of spiders in the region. The rapid creation of such webs is said to be unusual, but not completely unheard of.

Despite being huge, local reports suggest the web appeared just overnight. The species of spider falls into the long-jawed orb weaver classification. Thankfully for residents, however, the species are harmless. The spiders live in many areas of the world, including the US and Europe.


The giant web covers everything from trees and boats to shubbery

The footage appears to show two Tetrangnatha spiders mating

The spiders have formed a thick blanket of webs near the shore