European Cave Spiders
Usually Found: European Caves, North Africa, Japan, & Both Korean Nations
When it comes to spider species, we feel the European Cave Spider is fascinating. This is a long-jawed orb-weaving spider, which is pretty compelling. They are known for building wheel-shaped webs but do so in a spiral form. While this species might be known as the “European” Cave Spider, they are actually found in places like Scandinavia, North Africa, and Korea. They’re even found in island nations like Japan and Madagascar.
The species is “photophobic,” which in this context means they get physical pain from flashes of light. Weirdly, they’re also attracted to light. Some believe this is an evolutionary adaptation to spread the species. They actually live in caves due to it being free of light altogether. They will exit caves only at night and sometimes at dusk to hunt, often using a single silk lasso line to swing down upon prey.