NDLI: Consequences of electrical conductivity in an orb spider's capture web

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Vollrath, Fritz Edmonds, Donald
Copyright Year	2013
Abstract	The glue-coated and wet capture spiral of the orb web of the garden cross spider Araneus diadematus is suspended between the dry silk radial and web frame threads. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that the capture spiral is electrically conductive because of necks of liquid connecting the droplets even if the thread is stretched. We examine how this conductivity of the capture spiral may lead to entrapment of charged airborne particles such as pollen, spray droplets and even insects. We further describe and model how the conducting spiral will also locally distort the Earth's ambient electric field. Finally, we examine the hypothesis that such distortion could be used by potential prey to detect the presence of a web but conclude that any effect would probably be too small to allow an insect to take evasive action.
Starting Page	1163
Ending Page	1169
Page Count	7
File Format	PDF
ISSN	00281042
Journal	Naturwissenschaften
Volume Number	100
Issue Number	12
e-ISSN	14321904
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publisher Date	2013-12-10
Publisher Place	Berlin/Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Silk Electrostatic charges Airborne particles Aerosol Earth electric field Life Sciences Environment
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Medicine Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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Consequences of electrical conductivity in an orb spider's capture web