Lexi Webster
Australia is known for its diverse wildlife, and spiders are no exception. While the country doesn't have flying spiders in the traditional sense, it experiences a phenomenon known as spider rain or angel hair, where millions of spiders appear to take to the skies. This occurs when spiders engage in a process called ballooning or kiting, releasing silk threads to catch the wind and travel through the air, sometimes over long distances. While it might sound like something out of a horror movie, this natural occurrence is fascinating and showcases the adaptability and versatility of spiders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Phenomenon | Spider Rain or Angel Hair |
| Cause | Ballooning or Kiting |
| Purpose | To move to a new location, often to escape flooding |
| Mechanism | Spiders release gossamer threads to catch the wind |
| Distance | From a few meters to hundreds of kilometers |
| Height | Detected at 5 kilometers (16,000 ft) above sea level |
| Locations | Australia, the US, Britain, Norway, Germany, India, Antarctica |
| Species | Erigone atra, Cyclosa turbinata, spider mites (Tetranychidae), 31 species of lepidoptera |
| Local Names | Altweibersommer (Germany) |
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What You'll Learn
Ballooning or kiting spiders
Ballooning or kiting is a behaviour in which spiders and some other invertebrates use airborne dispersal to move between locations. Spiders climb as high as they can, stand on raised legs with their abdomens pointed upward ("tiptoeing"), and then release several silk threads from their spinnerets into the air. These threads automatically form a parachute that carries the spiders away on updrafts of wind, with even the slightest breeze being enough to disperse them. The Earth's static electric field may also provide lift in windless conditions.
Ballooning behaviour may be triggered by favourable electric fields. Many spiders use especially fine silk called gossamer to lift themselves off a surface, and silk may also be used by a windblown spider to anchor itself to stop its journey. This phenomenon has been known since the time of Aristotle, with the first precise observations published by the arachnologist John Blackwall in 1827.
Ballooning is the most common way for spiders to invade isolated islands and mountaintops. Spiderlings can survive without food while travelling in air currents of jet streams for 25 days or longer. Some mites and caterpillars also use silk to disperse through the air. Ballooning behaviours are closely associated with the ability for a spider species to survive afloat on water. Water-repellent legs enable spiders to stay alive on both fresh and salt water, allowing them to survive waves up to 0.5 meters in height.
While ballooning has been observed in various parts of the world, it is particularly notable in Australia. The transition from late summer to fall can trigger what locals call "spider season". In 2012 and May 2015, millions of spiders were reported to have ballooned into the air in Australia, making the ground where they landed seem snow-covered with their silk. This phenomenon occurs when flooding triggers spiders to flee the area and find a new home.
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Spiders in Australia are harmless
Spiders in Australia have a fearsome reputation, but this perception is often worse than the reality. While it is true that Australia is home to some of the world's most venomous spiders, the country has only recorded one spider-related death since 1981.
Spiders in Australia are widely distributed, with an estimated 10,000 species inhabiting a variety of ecosystems. Despite this, many of these spiders are harmless to humans. For example, the "flying spiders" that appear in Australia during the transition from late summer to fall are tiny sheet-web weavers or money spiders that use a technique called "ballooning" to catch air currents and migrate to new locations. While the resulting spider webs can be unsightly, these spiders are not dangerous to people.
Even some of Australia's largest and most venomous spiders are not a significant threat to humans. For instance, the deadly Sydney funnel-web spider is rarely encountered and has only caused 13 recorded deaths, with effective antivenom available since 1981. Similarly, mouse spiders, which are found across Australia, have venom similar to funnel-web spiders but have not caused any deaths. While their bites can be severe and should be treated with caution, mouse spiders are rather lethargic and rarely aggressive.
Other common Australian spiders, such as daddy long legs and huntsmen, are also relatively harmless to humans. Daddy long legs have venom that is almost entirely harmless, and huntsmen are typically non-aggressive and only bite when threatened. While their bites can be painful and cause side effects like nausea and headaches, huntsmen are often left alone by humans due to their effectiveness at controlling insect populations.
In summary, while Australia is home to a diverse range of spider species, including some of the world's most venomous, the majority of these spiders are harmless to humans. Effective antivenoms are available for the most dangerous species, and many Australian spiders play a beneficial role in controlling insect populations.
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Spider rain or angel hair
Australia is known for its unique wildlife, but one of its less famous features is the "angel hair" phenomenon, also known as "spider rain". This occurs when millions of spiders fall from the sky, often following heavy rainfall. The spiders are carried by the wind, using a dispersal technique called "ballooning" or "kiting", where they release a stream of silk that catches the wind and carries them away. This allows them to escape from floodwaters and find a new home. While it may sound like something out of a horror movie, these spiders are tiny and pose no danger to people.
The angel hair phenomenon has been reported in various parts of Australia, including New South Wales, Sydney, Wagga Wagga, and Goulburn. In one instance, locals reported seeing what looked like silk thread floating through the sky, with hundreds of little spiders floating along with their webs. The spider webs can blanket the ground for miles, resembling snow along countryside roads and even inside human homes.
The term "angel hair" comes from the substance's similarity to fine hair, and it has been described as sticky and fibrous. It is often reported in connection with UFO sightings or manifestations of the Virgin Mary. During the ascension of the Virgin Mary, her veil was torn and spread throughout the air, leading to the title of "Mary's yarn". While some believe that angel hair is created by UFOs or supernatural forces, others attribute it to the migration of spiders.
The angel hair phenomenon is not unique to Australia and has also been reported in the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Portugal, Italy, and Sri Lanka. In some cases, the substance has been found to be the web threads of migrating spiders, specifically the Linyphiidae species. These spiders frequently cause showers of gossamer threads in England and the Northern Hemisphere. While the exact cause of these mass ballooning events is unknown, they provide a spectacular display of nature's versatility and creativity.
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Spiders in human homes
Spiders are a common sight in Australian homes, with the average home playing host to several spider species. While they can be unnerving to come across, most of these spiders are harmless and even beneficial to have around. They play a vital role in keeping local pest populations under control, preying on insects and other spiders.
Some of the most common household spiders in Australia include the daddy-long-legs, huntsman, black house spider, white-tail spider, and wolf spider. Daddy-long-legs spiders are easily identified by their small bodies and elongated limbs. They are found throughout Australia and are often found in and around human habitation, including houses, garages, and sheds. Black house spiders, as their name suggests, are typically dark brown to black in colour and are generally small, with females growing up to 12-18 mm in length and males reaching up to 9-15 mm. They can be found in windows, doorways, and corners of homes, building their funnel-shaped webs near light sources to attract prey.
Huntsman spiders are another quintessential Australian spider, known for their unique appearance and ability to move extremely fast. They do not construct webs but instead hunt at night, wandering in search of prey. They can be found in a variety of locations, including under tree bark, rocks, eaves, roof spaces, and even inside homes. White-tail spiders are also common in Australian homes, especially during late summer to early autumn, and can be found in nooks and crannies that attract their prey. While they are very small, their bites can be dangerous, and medical attention should be sought if bitten.
Wolf spiders are large, with thick legs and striped bodies, and can be intimidating to encounter. While their bites are not considered potent enough to seriously harm humans, they can be dangerous to pets, so it is important to seek veterinary care if a pet is bitten. Overall, while spiders in the home can be unsettling, most Australian household spiders are not a significant threat to humans and can even be beneficial in controlling pest populations.
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Golden orb spiders
Golden orb-weaving spiders, also known as Nephila, are large spiders with silvery-grey to plum-coloured bodies and brown-black, often yellow-banded legs. The males are tiny and red-brown to brown in colour. They are found in dry open forests and woodlands, coastal sand dune shrublands, and mangrove habitats. The two species found in the Sydney region are Nephila edulis and N. plumipes. In Sydney, they can be found in the bushes and trees of the Royal Botanic Gardens and the mangrove forests of Bicentennial Park.
Golden orb-weaving spiders build large, semi-permanent, asymmetric orb webs with a golden sheen that can be up to 1.5 metres (5 feet) in diameter. The webs are placed in openings between trees and shrubs where insects are likely to fly. The spider is able to adjust the pigment intensity of its web relative to background light levels and colour, with the range of spectral reflectance specifically adapted to insect vision. The webs are sticky and wheel-shaped, and the silk is the strongest of any spider, with some strands keeping the web stable, some cementing it together, and some being flexible and sticky. The webs are also protected by a ""barrier network" of threads on one or both sides that provide some protection from bird attacks.
Golden orb-weaving spiders prey on insects that fly into their webs, including flies, beetles, locusts, wood moths, and cicadas. Sometimes their webs are strong enough to trap small birds or bats, which the spider will then wrap up and feed upon. When an insect gets tangled in a golden orb weaver's web, the spider injects it with venom to paralyse it, quickly wraps it in silk, and carries it to the centre of the web. At mealtime, the spider slurps up the insect's liquified insides.
Golden orb-weaving spiders are widespread in warmer regions throughout the world, with species in Australia, Asia, Africa (including Madagascar), and the Americas. Spiderlings can be carried by the wind over long distances, and female golden orb weavers spin strong, yellow, curly egg sacs on trees, filling them with hundreds of eggs.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are flying spiders in Australia. This phenomenon is known as "spider rain" or "angel hair" and is caused by spiders releasing silk threads to catch the wind, allowing them to move through the air and disperse to new locations.
The scientific term for flying spiders is "ballooning" or "kiting." This behavior is observed in many species of spiders and other small invertebrates.
Spiders in Australia may fly due to flooding in the region. Ballooning allows spiders to escape areas where they would otherwise drown.
Spider flying season in Australia typically occurs during the transition from late summer to fall, specifically from March to May.
Flying spiders, also known as sheet-web weavers or money spiders, are harmless to humans. They play an essential role in controlling the population of insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and flies.
