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Slingshot spider launches 100 times faster than cheetah by creating springs in its web – and experts say design could improve robots
- Launching from a spring-like web, the acrobatic arachnid reaches speeds of 4,300 square feet per second
- Barely 1/25 of an inch high, it can knock down much larger flies and mosquitoes
- He is one of the few creatures to use a tool – his web – to achieve such speeds.
- Scientists believe spider’s super-dense silk could one day power tiny robots and other devices
Deep in the Amazon jungle, the tiny slingshot spider hovers in the air at lightning speed to capture its prey.
Launched from a spring-like canvas, it can accelerate at 4,300 square feet per second – over 100 times faster than a cheetah.
Speeds of 13 feet per second subject the world’s fastest spider to around 130 gravity accelerations (gs), more than 13 times what fighter pilots can withstand before passing out.
Scientists studying the mechanics of this daredevil arachnid believe that discovering how its web silk can store so much energy could lead to its use as an energy source for tiny robots and other devices.
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Sling spiders build three-dimensional conical webs with a tension line attached to the center. When they see their prey, they let go and are launched into the air at breakneck speed
Sling spiders, known by the scientific genus Theridiosomatid, build three-dimensional conical webs with a tension line attached to the center.
Their acrobatics have been seen as early as the 1930s, but scientists couldn’t really explain the mechanics until now.
In a report published this week in Current Biology, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology detailed what is believed to be the first kinematic examination of this spider’s amazing abilities.
Images from high-speed cameras stationed at the Tambopata Research Center outside of Puerto Maldonado, Peru, reveal that the slingshot spider pulls the tension line with its front legs while holding the main web structure with its hind legs.
When the spider detects a fly or mosquito within range, it breaks free, throwing the web – and itself – towards its prey, as shown in this video from Rainforest Expeditions.
If the arachnid connects, it quickly wraps its meal in silk and if it misses, it simply pulls the tension line and resets the web.
“We think this approach probably gives the spider the advantage of speed and surprise, and possibly even the effect of stunning the prey,” said co-author Symone Alexander, postdoctoral researcher at Georgia Tech.
Slingshot spiders are only about 1/25 of an inch tall, much smaller than the bugs on their menu, so they have to move quickly if they want to eat.
The fastest arachnid in the world, the slingshot can accelerate at 4,300 square feet per second – over 100 times faster than a cheetah. Unlocking how its Web Silk can store so much energy could lead to its use 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, it is an order of magnitude more powerful ‘ ‘said co-author Saad Bhamla, professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical. and biomolecular engineering.
The slingshot is also rare in arachnids in that it uses a tool – its web – to reach such high speeds.
“Unlike frogs, crickets or grasshoppers, the slingshot spider does not rely on its muscles to jump very quickly,” Bhamla said.
Alexander and Bhamla estimate that stretching the web requires at least 200 dynes, a huge amount of energy for such a small bug.
They believe the spider locks its muscles “ like a latch ” so that it doesn’t have to exert so much energy while waiting for its next meal.
“We wanted to understand these super-fast movements because they can force our perspective to change from thinking of cheetahs and hawks as the only fast animals,” Bhamla said.
“There are many very small invertebrates capable of moving quickly through unusual structures. We really wanted to understand how these spiders achieve this incredible acceleration.
WHAT IS THE FALSE WIDOW SPIDER AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET WICK
False Widow Spiders are distinguished by their shiny black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs, and skull-shaped patterns.
Millions of false widows, Britain’s most poisonous spider, have been found across the UK and the population is believed to increase.
The species has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream markings that resemble a skull. They have long legs and can grow to around 15mm.
Also known as steatoda nobilis, the spider is often confused with the black widow, which has deadly venom.
The false widow was first spotted in the UK at Torquay, Devon, in 1879, and it is understood that she could have traveled to these coasts from Madeira or the Canary Islands in a shipment of bananas.
The Natural History Museum says the warmer summers mean the spider is spreading north across the UK, having been found primarily in southern England.
False Widow Spiders are distinguished by their shiny, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs, and skull-shaped patterns.
IF YOU’RE SICK …
The first thing to do is to wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection – and not to scratch, as if you break your skin, bacteria are more likely to enter.
Cover the bites with a bandage and apply an antihistamine 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 go away after three days.
Watch out for potential signs of infection, such as oozing blisters or painful swelling, which continue to get worse after a few days.
If this happens, ask your GP for advice.
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