One method tiny spiders use to cross large divides

This tiny spider spotted on the lunch table at the Quad, NTU (1.5 mm long, looks like a crab spider) has a pretty good trick to cross gaps it was too lazy to walk around.


First it enters this posture to release web. Can make out the faint lines of the web coming from the abdomen, one going up the other going down. Usually they balloon away but this attempt seemed to have failed.


So it reels in its web and tries again.

And on the third try, it successfully snared the free end onto my diffuser and promptly crossed over to my lens. I used to think they had to drag their line over gaps by walking the long way round but apparently the wind does it for them. Maybe this is how spiders make webs that span rivers?