Spiderweb silks and architectures reveal millions of years of evolutionary ingenuity

An orchard orb weaver spider rests in the center of her web. Daniela Duncan/Moment via Getty Images

Have you ever walked face-first into a spiderweb while on a hike? Or swept away cobwebs in your garage?

You may recognize the orb web as the classic Halloween decoration or cobwebs as close neighbors with your dust bunnies. These are just two among the many types of spiderweb architectures, each with a unique structure specially attuned to the spider’s environment and the web’s intended job.