Spiders Spin their Webs with a Kind of Music

There's more to a spider's web than meets the eye and ears, that is, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the universities of Oxford, Strathcylde and Sheffield.

As the spider spins its silk, vibrations are gradually transmitted via wide range frequencies. The creature plucks its web like a guitar string to carry information about prey, mates and even the structural integrity of the web.

Researchers first stumbled onto the discovery after firing bullets and lasers at a spider's web to test how it vibrates. These findings could help researchers identify new technologies, including tiny light-weight sensors.

"Most spiders have poor eyesight and rely almost exclusively on the vibration of the silk in their web for sensory information,' said Beth Mortimer of the Oxford Silk Group at Oxford University, who led the research, via a press release. "The sound of silk can tell them what type of meal is entangled in their net and about the intentions and quality of a prospective mate. By plucking the silk like a guitar string and listening to the 'echoes' the spider can also assess the condition of its web."

Researchers used ultra-high-speed cameras to film the spider's gossamer threads in action. Lasers were also used to make detailed measurements regarding even the smallest vibrations.

"The fact that spiders can receive these nanometre vibrations with organs on each of their legs, called slit sensillae, really exemplifies the impact of our research about silk properties found in our study," said Dr Shira Gordon of the University of Strathclyde, an author involved in this research, via the release.

"These findings further demonstrate the outstanding properties of many spider silks that are able to combine exceptional toughness with the ability to transfer delicate information," said Professor Fritz Vollrath of the Oxford Silk Group at Oxford University, an author of the paper. 'These are traits that would be very useful in light-weight engineering and might lead to novel, built-in 'intelligent' sensors and actuators."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Advanced Materials.