# What insect made this, and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223 "2013-09-07T01:59:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/61 "2013-12-14T05:41:16Z")
For something that was supposedly imminent, this announcement is taking rather long… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/62 "2013-12-14T15:58:14Z")
Yeah, I’d thought they were actually ready to announce . . . something. So far, the only update Phillip Torres has posted was a note referencing the iO9 piece, enthusing about how their expedition is “actually being covered in the science news circuit!” For what it’s worth, the expedition is apparently staying at the [Rainforest Expeditions Lodges](https://www.facebook.com/Rainforest.Expeditions) (link goes to Facebook page), but they’ve not posted any updates either. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/63 "2013-12-14T16:10:25Z")
perhaps something has gone terribly, _terribly_ wrong! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/64 "2013-12-14T16:27:19Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > perhaps something has gone terribly, _terribly_ wrong! I believe they found the guy with the 3D printer and a truck battery. Hiding the body won’t be difficult, but they have to make up a story for what the things are. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/65 "2013-12-14T16:44:19Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > perhaps something has gone terribly, _terribly_ wrong! Well, we’re never going to find the creature at this rate. Let’s split up and search the jungle. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/66 "2013-12-14T17:40:14Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > perhaps something has gone terribly, _terribly_ wrong! [It’s a possibility!](http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/t/the-fly-03-400-80.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/67 "2013-12-14T20:39:30Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Well, we’re never going to find the creature at this rate. Let’s split up and search the jungle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/68 "2013-12-18T04:39:21Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > This mystery is apparently (about to be) solved. iO9 [reports today](http://io9.com/scientists-are-close-to-solving-one-of-2013s-greatest-1481082180) the researchers have posted an update and promise a resolution.This was followed by a screen cap of a tweet stating “Today we found 11 of these wild structures, and are about to solve this Amazon mystery”. Torres also shared a photo on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/philtorres1/posts/10101372665060015), stating “The mystery we’re solving by the hour- will update soon.” it has been a week, and **bup** said he would be back by the hour… ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/69 "2013-12-18T08:06:46Z")
Has there been an update? How difficult can this be? I have two words: DNA Sample! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/70 "2013-12-18T08:19:43Z")
Yeah. If this is a genuine discovery, why does it feel like the teaser campaign for a free energy scam? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/71 "2013-12-18T11:25:32Z")
I just noticed that the date of the linked article is September 4, 2013. I did a web search, but there don’t seem to be any updates. Wtf is taking so long?? And why isn’t the National Enquirer all over this? ---
**Author:** ![bahimes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bahimes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahimes)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/72 "2013-12-18T13:20:41Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > It looks like a high-powered transmitter, surrounded by a protective fence. I am guessing an insectoid alien species from outerspace set it up to guide the swarm earthward. > Are all the pointy tips pointing at the same direction in space? Passive. Receiver. NSA has nano teched the Wollenwebber direction finding array. [![](http://f6aoj.ao-journal.com/crbst_chicksands-cdaa-b.jpg) ](http://f6aoj.ao-journal.com/crbst_chicksands-cdaa-b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/73 "2013-12-18T22:25:32Z")
Perhaps whatever they discovered is interesting enough to publish, so they decided Facebook wasn’t the appropriate place for an announcement. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/74 "2013-12-21T11:16:23Z")
research team reported missing in jungles of Peru - > **[We Went to the Amazon to Find Out What Makes These Weird Web-Tower Things](https://www.wired.com/2013/12/web-tower-mystery-solved/)** > > After six months of speculation, we finally know what’s building these mysterious silk structures in the Amazon: A spider. But its precise identity is still a mystery that scientists are scrambling to solve as I write this. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/75 "2013-12-21T12:09:23Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > research team reported missing in jungles of Peru - > > [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/12/web-tower-mystery-solved/](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/12/web-tower-mystery-solved/) The story doesn’t mention anything about a missing research team. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/76 "2013-12-21T12:21:24Z")
Ha! Who would have guessed it was a … ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/77 "2013-12-21T14:02:01Z")
Those are some impressively clear pictures for something so tiny. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/78 "2013-12-22T21:33:34Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > research team reported missing in jungles of Peru - > > [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/12/web-tower-mystery-solved/](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/12/web-tower-mystery-solved/) They found the camp deserted and in dissarray as if someone left in a hurry…also strange markings carved on a tree near by…“croatan”…authorities are puzzled and have no leads. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/79 "2013-12-23T00:37:48Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > They found the camp deserted and in dissarray as if someone left in a hurry…also strange markings carved on a tree near by…“croatan”…authorities are puzzled and have no leads. 😉 The search party should have split up and searched the jungle. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223/80 "2013-12-23T02:16:08Z")
That appears to be a hefty investment in time to create something so intricate for a single egg. And here I thought that spiders laid lots of eggs at a time in sacs. Something new learned. The article doesn’t say, but is it possible that the staff at Tambopata will be trying to raise the spiderlings? Is the facility even staffed full time, year round? Is it a completely new species of spider, or is it a known one that they’ve never seen in other than an adult form? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-insect-made-this-and-why/668223.md?page=5)