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Structural engineering of an orb-spider's web
Nature, 1995THE silk of spiders first evolved 400 million years ago and orb webs emerged 180 million years ago1, 2; present-day spiders' webs are structures efficiently engineered by nature. The planar orb web of the garden spider Araneus diadematus has evolved with the prime function of capturing fast-moving and, on a relative scale, massive insects.
Lorraine H. Lin +2 more
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On the colours of spider orb-webs
European Journal of Physics, 2011A sticky capture thread from the spiral element of spider orb-webs is formed of almost regularly spaced droplets that surround a supporting axial fibre. From the perspective of physical optics it represents a periodic linear array of scattering elements that acts as a diffraction grating.
Wilfried Suhr, H Joachim Schlichting
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Leaf masquerade in an orb web spider
Journal of Arachnology, 2016Abstract Leaf masquerade—an animal resembling leaves that are inedible for predators or innocuous for prey—is well known in insects but less so in arachnids. We report a case of a striking morphological and behavioral adaptation that can be labeled as leaf masquerade in an undescribed spider species (Poltys C.L.
Matjaž Kuntner +3 more
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Orb-web spiders as Bayesian learners
The Science of Nature, 2019Orb-web spiders typically construct their webs with a vertical asymmetry: the hub, or meeting point of the radial threads, is often above the geometric center of the web. Previous explanations for this asymmetry involve differences in up/down running speed and mass, but fail to account adequately for ontogenetic changes in vertical asymmetry.
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The energy budget of an orb web-building spider
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology, 1976Abstract o 1. First measurements of increased total oxygen consumption of web-building Araneus diadematus spiders over resting animals are reported for nine webs of an adult female. 2. Analysis of movie pictures and web photographs results in an estimate of the number of steps and the amount of up and down movement which the animal used in ...
D B, Peakall, P N, Witt
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Optical surface profiling of orb-web spider capture silks
Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 2010Much spider silk research to date has focused on its mechanical properties. However, the webs of many orb-web spiders have evolved for over 136 million years to evade visual detection by insect prey. It is therefore a photonic device in addition to being a mechanical device.
D M, Kane +3 more
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The web repair behaviour of an orb spider
Animal Behaviour, 2015The study of construction behaviour and animal architecture has yielded significant insights into many areas of animal behaviour including decision making, optimal foraging and behavioural plasticity. In addition, the fitness consequences of constructing nests, protective structures and traps have been amply demonstrated.
Eleanor R. Tew +2 more
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The non-filter function of orb webs in spiders
Oecologia, 1983Experiments with artificial webs show that there is no correlation between prey size and mesh width. The number of prey items per thread increases with mesh width. Spiders with narrow-meshed webs catch more prey, whilst spiders with wide-meshed webs save more spinning material.
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Design Variability in Web Geometry of an Orb-Weaving Spider
Physiology & Behavior, 1997We studied the effect of several variables (environmental and physiological) on web geometry in the garden cross spider Araneus diadematus. Variables were: web support, wind, temperature, humidity, and silk supply. All had an effect. The spiders generally attempted to fit their webs to the shape of the supporting frame (standard, small, vertical, or ...
F, Vollrath, M, Downes, S, Krackow
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Optimal foraging, not biogenetic law, predicts spider orb web allometry
Naturwissenschaften, 2013The biogenetic law posits that the ontogeny of an organism recapitulates the pattern of evolutionary changes. Morphological evidence has offered some support for, but also considerable evidence against, the hypothesis. However, biogenetic law in behavior remains underexplored.
Matjaž, Gregorič +5 more
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