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Spinning webs
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A woman walks her dogs through spiderwebs, formed as spiders escape from flood waters, in Wagga Wagga. Thousands of spiders have cast eerie webs over vast areas of flood-hit Australia after being forced to seek shelter by the rising waters. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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Experts said the spiders may be spinning the sticky webs to help them survive the deluge, which has forced thousands of people to leave their homes over the past week. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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An arachnid expert at Queensland Museum said that the spiders spinning webs in Wagga Wagga is a type of wolf spider. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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The spiders' behaviour was known as ballooning, formed as spiders escape from flood waters, said Australian Museum's entomology collections manager. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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They often do it as a way of dispersing and getting into a new area and are just trying to escape the floods, experts said. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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In an attempt to escape rising waters, the spiders climb blades of grass and let out hundreds of metres of silk hoping a gust of wind will catch the web and transport them to safety. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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Experts said it was unusual to see adults spiders displaying this behaviour. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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A house is surrounded by spiderwebs next to flood waters in Wagga Wagga. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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A dog walks through spiderwebs next to flood waters in Wagga Wagga. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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Wild plants are covered in spiderwebs, formed as spiders escape from flood waters, in Wagga Wagga. Reuters/Daniel Munoz
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