Nonwebbing

Nonwebbing is a term used to describe the absence or avoidance of forming a web or web-like structure in a given context. It is discussed mainly in two domains: biology, especially arachnology, and materials science as a contrast to web-based fabric structures.

In biology, nonwebbing refers to species that do not construct capture webs as a primary means of obtaining prey. Many ground-dwelling spiders, such as wolf spiders, and several jumping spiders do not rely on sticky webs to catch food. They may spin silk for purposes such as safety lines, egg sacs, or retreats, but they do not build the characteristic prey-catching webs associated with some other spiders. The term helps distinguish hunting strategies that are active or opportunistic from those that depend on a constructed web. Silk production in nonwebbing spiders still serves multiple functions, even when a web is absent.

In materials science and textile terminology, nonwebbing can be used informally to describe fabrics or fiber assemblies that do not form a web-like structure. By contrast, nonwoven fabrics are produced by bonding fibers without weaving or knitting, creating a different architecture from traditional woven or knitted textiles. The term nonwebbing is not a standard category in formal glossaries; most discussions rely on established terms such as woven, knitted, or nonwoven to describe fabric structure and production methods.

See also: spider silk, nonwoven fabrics, weaving, spider ecology.