The exact answer is: Some spider webs can be venomous, specifically those produced by certain types of spiders like spitting spiders.
Spider webs, in the traditional sense of the sticky silk structures built to trap prey through entanglement, are not poisonous if consumed or touched. The silk itself is primarily protein. However, the provided reference highlights a unique case:
Venomous Spider Webs Explained
According to the reference: "There are venomous spider webs... The spitting spiders produce silk from their fangs, silk that is loaded with venom."
This reveals a different type of "web" and method used by certain spiders:
- Spitting Spiders: Unlike most spiders that build large webs to catch prey, spitting spiders (family Scytodidae) have a unique hunting technique.
- Venomous Silk: These spiders don't rely on prey getting stuck and then bitten. Instead, they produce silk directly from their fangs, and this silk is combined with venom.
- Attack Method: They spray this venomous silk onto their prey, effectively coating and immobilizing it. The venom within the silk acts to subdue the victim.
Therefore, while the common perception of a spider web involves non-venomous silk used for trapping, the silk produced and used in a hunting spray by spitting spiders is indeed venomous because it is mixed with venom.
Key Takeaways:
- Most spider silk (like that found in orb webs) is not venomous.
- Spitting spiders create a venomous silk spray from their fangs.
- This venomous silk is used to capture and incapacitate prey, rather than relying on prey eating the silk.
This distinction is crucial – it's not the physical web structure being poisonous, but rather a specific type of silk spray used offensively by certain spiders that contains venom.
