Overview
- The peer-reviewed paper in Subterranean Biology estimates roughly 111,000 individuals across a web complex spanning about 106 square meters.
- Researchers identified approximately 69,000 Tegenaria domestica and 42,000 Prinerigone vagans living within the interconnected structure.
- The colony forms a mosaic of funnel-like units co-built by two typically solitary species, a behavior not previously recorded for them.
- The cave maintains permanent darkness with sulfurous water near 26°C, supporting midges that graze microbial biofilms and serve as prey for the spiders.
- Explorers first documented the structure in 2022, sampling followed in 2024, and the team is now seeking protection for the transboundary site.