'Human-sized' spider web found in Missouri forest

A giant spider web was discovered by the Missouri Department of Conservation's Francis Skalicky off a trail near Springfield

Giant spider web found in the forest of Missouri (Francis Skalicky / Missouri Department of Conversation)

More evidence that 2020 is a living nightmare has been found deep in the forests of Missouri, where arachnids are spinning webs large enough to "catch" humans.

Just in time for Halloween, a giant spider web was discovered by the Missouri Department of Conservation's Francis Skalicky off a trail near Springfield.

People began freaking out accordingly after a photo of the web, spun by an orb weaver spider, was posted to Facebook.

"Those are the kind that literally 'catch' people if they walk through them at night lol," said Facebook commenter Jennifer Duffy Russell.

Jas T Butler said she would "freak out seeing this". "Knowing there is a spider the size of my hand nearby *shudders*," she said.

While the orb-weaver spider is large and hairy, they're generally harmless to humans, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.  

Also known as spotted orb weavers or barn spiders, they mostly eat insects such as moths and crane flies, and also their own webs.

"Many orb-weavers are nocturnal and have the peculiar habit of eating and rebuilding their webs each day," the conservation department says.

"Webs are built at dusk and used for snaring prey during the night. At dawn, the spider reingests the strands (along with moisture that has collected on it as dew) and recycles the nutrients in making the next web."