• Kendal Mountain Festival - The Risk Sessions followed by feature film 'Diving into Darkness'

    Saturday, November 23rd 7:30pm and 9pm at The Box - Kendal College.

    Climbing psychologist Dr Rebecca Williams talks with veteran cave diver Geoff Yeadon and 8,000m peak climber Tamara Lunger about their attitude to risk, their motivation and how we can learn to manage the dangers faced in adventure sport. Followed later the same evening - feature film 'Diving into Darkness' An awe-inspiring odyssey about cave diving icon Jill Heinerth and her journey of exploration, resilience and self discovery into the planet's deepest depths.

    Click here for ticket links

One for the biologists

Tim Pickering

Active member
Can anyone tell me about these thin threads that hang down from the roof? They appear to be like spider silk. My guess is that they are for the purpose of catching winged insects. They weren't near the entrance so nothing by way of light
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Space Doubt Caver

Active member
Can anyone tell me about these thin threads that hang down from the roof? They appear to be like spider silk. My guess is that they are for the purpose of catching winged insects. They weren't near the entrance so nothing by way of light View attachment 20664
It could be a silk worm on the roof of the cave, which drop long silk like string that is sticky to catch flies and the likes,

But also as mentioned above it could be a snottite,
 

LadyMud

Active member
I wonder how long they take to form, and how long they last?
In a busy cave, presumably the answers are "not long" and "not long".
 

Cavematt

Well-known member
There are hundreds of them throughout Excalibur Pot particularly around the Main Streamway. No idea what they are though so will be interested to find out.
 

mikem

Well-known member
Although we do have fungus gnats in UK, their larva live in soil / compost. The glow worm type are unique to New Zealand (we also don't have native silk worms, which build a cocoon around themselves to hide in)
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
I remember coming across this sort of thing hanging from a cave roof several years ago. I was with (the late) David Hodgson, who knew a lot about entomology. He said they contained the larvae of fungus gnats. Have a look with a good quality hand lens to see if there's any insect larva at the end.

If in Great Douk I suspect the geology is wrong for snottites.
 

Tim Pickering

Active member
I think you've all given me justification for buying one of those mini pocket microscopes they sell in Inglesport! A return visit to Great Douk in the very near future is definitely on the cards as I found that a fascinating little system that I wouldn't mind spending more time in.
 

2xw

Well-known member
Have you tried tasting one? That is a foundational skill of a good biologist. You'll then know whether they taste like mushrooms, gnats or snot.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
I think you've all given me justification for buying one of those mini pocket microscopes they sell in Inglesport! A return visit to Great Douk in the very near future is definitely on the cards as I found that a fascinating little system that I wouldn't mind spending more time in.
You won't need a microscope for this one ;)

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