CHICAGO — Wednesday's downpours made for ideal conditions for countless spider webs to appear all over Chicago lawns.
The webs are already there but difficult to see with the naked eye unless there's moisture on the ground, according to Allen Lawrance, the Invertebrate Specialist at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
"These webs are incredibly common and can be found in most lawns," Lawrance said. "They become more visible when dew drops collect on the surface of the webs."
Lawrance said if you look close enough, you may see an area where the webs narrow and form a little tunnel, which is where the spider is usually hiding. The spider will hang out until it feels vibrations on the web, alerting the spider to nearby prey.
"They're out almost year round in lawns and bushes, just more visible at the moment with the condensation collecting on the webs," Lawrance said.
Lawrance said several spider species make the webs on the lawns.
@dnainfo_breen Good question! Our entomologist confirmed they're webs, but he has to look up what kind of spider. (1/2)
— Notebaert Museum (@NatureMuseum) June 23, 2016
@dnainfo_breen The webs are more visible because of the water drops collected on them. (2/2)
— Notebaert Museum (@NatureMuseum) June 23, 2016
The webs are not snow mold, which is a type of fungus that can be easily removed by raking the grass.
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