I discovered this leaf on one of my walks last evening. It caught my attention immediately and from a distance. The attention calling was how suspended it was and in such a large open space. The web it is tangled is one strand that was stretched across a wide opening. The strand going to the right is about 6 feet long and attaches to a tree. The strand on the left is about 3 feet long and attaches to a second tree.
Small spiders use silk threads for ballooning, an inaccurate term for the dynamic kiting spiderlings (mostly) use for dispersal. They extrude several threads into the air and let themselves be carried away by winds. Although most rides will end a few yards later, it seems to be a common way for spiders to invade islands. Many sailors have reported that spiders have been caught in their ship’s sails, even when far from land. The extremely fine silk that spiders use for ballooning is known as gossamer. In some cases, spiders may even use silk as a source of food. (Wikipedia)
