I was just watching this show "Nature's Secrets", they were talking about the powerful silk that spiders make, and it said that we couldn't put spiders together in a farm to mass produce their silk because "spiders hate each other." it said.

 

Do spiders really hate each other? As in automatically when they see each other?

Most are solitary, ambush hunters. They see each other as rivals, or just lunch.

 

There are spiders that colonize, but I'm not sure the prolific silk-spinners are that cooperative.

Most are solitary, ambush hunters. They see each other as rivals, or just lunch.

 

There are spiders that colonize, but I'm not sure the prolific silk-spinners are that cooperative.

 

Which spiders do you know of are colonial?

I remember Charles Darwin wrote about some rainforest species that colonized, and I think most of the ones that cooperate are from tropical climates, but don't quote me on that. I don't remember what species they were.

Which spiders do you know of are colonial?

 

Ask and ye shall receive..

 

 

http://frank.itlab.us/photo_essays/papers/spider_defense_early_warning.pdf

IIRC, jumping spiders tolerate each other during encounters, though keeping their distance, and they even hibernate "together" over winter.