Scientists exploring a remote cave system on the rugged border between Greece and Albania have stumbled upon what may be the largest spider web ever recorded — a sprawling, silken network stretching nearly 30 meters across the limestone walls and ceilings of the cavern.
The discovery was made by a joint team of Greek and Albanian biologists conducting an ecological survey of the Pindus mountain range, a region known for its rare subterranean species. The team, led by arachnologist Dr. Eleni Karadimas of the University of Athens, described the web as “astonishing in both scale and structure.”
“At first, we thought it was a series of smaller webs overlapping,” Dr. Karadimas said in a press briefing on Monday. “But when we examined it more closely, we realized it was one continuous construction — likely the work of a single colony or an unusually large individual.”
The web, glistening in the dim light of headlamps, was anchored to natural rock formations and even stretched across an underground stream. Samples collected from the site suggest that the silk is unusually strong and elastic — up to twice as durable as that of typical orb-weaving spiders found in the region.
Preliminary genetic analysis points to a previously unidentified species of cave-dwelling spider, provisionally named Meta gigantica. Researchers believe the species adapted to the dark, nutrient-scarce cave ecosystem over thousands of years, evolving to build large communal webs to trap scarce insect prey.
“This could represent a fascinating case of cooperative web-building behavior,” said Dr. Arben Dervishi, a biologist from the University of Tirana who co-led the expedition. “In such isolated environments, species often evolve unique survival strategies — and this web may be an example of that.”
The cave itself, located in a largely uncharted karst system near the Drino River valley, is accessible only through a narrow shaft that required rappelling more than 60 meters. The expedition was initially aimed at studying bat populations and underground water chemistry, not arachnids.
Researchers are now working to document the web using 3D mapping and high-resolution photography before natural conditions or human interference cause damage. The site is temporarily restricted while scientists conduct further studies, and local authorities are considering measures to protect it as a natural heritage location.
If confirmed, the find could surpass the previous record-holder — a 14-meter communal web discovered in Madagascar in 2009 — and offer new insights into the limits of spider architecture and silk engineering.
“Nature continues to surprise us,” Dr. Karadimas said. “Even in the most remote corners of the Earth, we’re still uncovering mysteries that remind us how little we truly know about the natural world.”