Slingshot spider launches itself 100 times faster than cheetah by creating spring coils in its web – and experts say the design could improve robots
- Launched from a spring-like web, the acrobatic arachnid reaches speeds of 4,300 feet per second
- Almost 1/25 inch long, it can take off much larger flies and musty
- It is one of only a few creatures that uses a piece of equipment – its web – to reach such speeds
- Scientists believe that the super-dense web silk of the spider could one day stream small robots and other devices
Deep in the Amazon jungle, the small pin-spike grows spinning through the air at lightning speed to catch its prey.
Launched from a spring-like web, it can square at 4,300 feet per second – over 100 times faster than a hunting diaper.
Speeds of 13 feet per second subject the world’s fastest spider to roughly 130 the acceleration of gravity (gs), or more than 13 times what fighter pilots can endure before going out.
Scientists are studying the mechanics of this kind of arachnid believed to unlock how its web silk can store so much energy leading to it being used as a power source for small robots and other devices.
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Spinning muscles build three-dimensional conical webs with a tension line attached to the center. When they see their prey, they let go and are put into the air at this speed
Slingshot spiders, known by the scientific genus name Theridiosomatid, build three-dimensional conical webs with a tension line attached to the center.
Their acrobatics were observed until the 1930s, but scientists could not really explain the mechanics until now.
In a report published this week in Contemporary Biology, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology detailed what is believed to be the first cinematic study of the amazing capabilities of this spider.
Recordings of high-speed cameras stationed at the Tambopata Research Center outside Puerto Maldonado, Peru, revealed the spider spider pulls the tension line with its front legs while holding the main web structure with its hind legs.
When the spider feels a fly or mosquito within reach, it releases, launching the web – and itself – to its prey, as seen in this video from Rainforest Expeditions.
When the arachnid connects, it quickly flushes its flour into silk and if it misses, it simply pulls the tension line and re-inserts the web.
“We think this approach is likely to give the spider the benefit of speed and surprise, and perhaps even the effect of tasting the prey,” said co-author Symone Alexander, a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia Tech.
Spider webs are only about 1/25 of an inch, much smaller than the insects on their menu, so they have to move fast when they want to eat.
The fastest arachnid on earth, the slingshot can square 4,300 feet per second – over 100 times faster than a cheetah. Unlocking how its web silk can store so much energy can lead to it being used as a power source for small robots and other devices
“If you compare this natural silk spring to carbon nanotubes or other man-made materials in terms of power density or energy density, then it’s orders of magnitude more powerful,” said co-author Saad Bhamla, a professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering.
The slingshot is also rare among arachnids in that it uses a tool – its web – to reach such high speeds.
‘Unlike frogs, crickets, or locusts, the splash bar does not rely on its muscles to jump really fast,’ said Bhamla.
Alexander and Bhamla estimate that stretching the web requires at least 200 duvets, an enormous amount of energy for such a small bug.
They believe that the spider locks its muscles ‘like a latch’ so that it does not have to exert so much energy waiting for its next meal.
“We wanted to understand these ultra-fast movements because they could force our perspective to change from thinking about cheetahs and falcons as the only fast animals,” Bhamla said.
There are many very small invertebrates that can achieve rapid movement through unusual structures. We really wanted to understand how these spiders achieve that tremendous acceleration. ‘
WHAT IS THE FALSE WIDOW SPIDER AND WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU BIT?
False widow-spiders are distinguished for their luster, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns.
Millions of false widows, Britain’s most poisonous spider, have been found in the United Kingdom and the population is thought to be growing.
The species has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream markings resembling a skull. They have long legs and can reach about 15mm in size.
Also known as steatoda nobilis, the spider is often mistaken for the black widow, which has deadly venom.
The fake widow was first spotted in the United Kingdom in Torquay, Devon, in 1879, and it is understood that it may have made its way to these coasts of Madeira or the Canary Islands in a shipment of bananas.
The Natural History Museum says that warmer summers mean that the spider spreads north through the United Kingdom, having been found mainly in the south of England.
False widow spiders are distinguished for their luster, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns.
IF YOU ARE PLEASE …
The first thing you need to do is wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection – and do not scratch, as if you break the skin, there is more chance for bacteria to enter.
Cover bites with a cast and apply an antihistamine stinging cream to soothe any inflammation or itching, says Stuart Hine, of the Natural History Museum’s identification and counseling service.
Any redness, pain or swelling should subside after three days.
Be alert for potential signs of infection, such as crying blisters or painful swelling, which continue to worsen after a few days.
If this happens, seek the advice of your GP.
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