World’s largest spider web discovered on Albania-Greece border
In what sounds more like the start of a horror film than a scientific breakthrough, researchers have uncovered the largest spider web ever recorded deep inside a sulfur-filled cave near Sarandaporo, right on the Albania-Greece border.
Why is this important: The find—more than 111,000 spiders woven into a sprawling, dark mosaic of funnel-shaped webs—marks the first-ever documentation of colony behavior between two common spider species. Scientists say it is likely the largest spider web system ever discovered globally.
Context: Published this week in Subterranean Biology, the study reveals that the megastructure stretches approximately 350 meters along the wall of a narrow tunnel near the cave’s entrance. Researchers describe it as a massive, interconnected web made up of thousands of overlapping individual webs, each one meticulously constructed by the arachnid residents.
Samples collected in 2024 and later analyzed revealed the colony is home to two species:
- Tegenaria domestica, better known as the humble house spider
- Prinerigone vagans, a moisture-loving spider that thrives in damp environments
Genetic testing also showed that these spiders differ significantly from their surface-dwelling cousins, suggesting that they have adapted to the cave’s toxic, sulfur-heavy conditions.
Second global headline from Leskovik area: This marks the second news making natural discovery from the Leskovik region and Albanian-Greek border in recent months. In early November, global media buzzed about Lake Neuron, the world’s largest underground thermal lake, located 127 meters beneath the mountain, in a cave on the Albanian side, near Leskovik. That lake is 138 meters long and holds over 8,000 cubic meters of mineral-rich water.
But while Lake Neuron has already sparked international interest in Albania’s emerging thermal tourism scene, it is doubtful the spider cave will feature in travel brochures any time soon.
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