Spider signal threads reveal remote sensing design secrets

When you look at a spider web in the garden, one thing is often noticeably absent: the spider. This may be because it is lurking away from the web in a 'retreat', where it can monitor web vibrations through a proxy known ...

Insect DNA extracted, sequenced from black widow spider web

Scientists extracted DNA from spider webs to identify the web's spider architect and the prey that crossed it, according to this proof-of-concept study published November 25, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Charles ...

Spider webs yield clues to stickier glues

Spider webs are notoriously sticky. Although they only take a second to swat down, shaking them off your hands can be an exercise in frustration. But that stubborn tackiness could come in handy when designing smart synthetic ...

Spiders—how spooky are they?

Spooky scenes of fake spiders in giant webs are everywhere this time of year. But despite the Halloween hype, spiders hardly deserve their reputation as dangerous creatures, says NC State University entomologist Matt Bertone.

Scent is the route to the very best fruit

Monkeys and other primates have a better sense of smell than is often claimed. Researchers at Linköping University and two German universities have studied spider monkeys – and found that they are experts at sniffing out ...

Knee-deep in spider leg evolution

Authors Nikola-Michael Prpic et al., in a new study appearing in the advanced online edition of Molecular Biology and Evolution, have identified the driving force behind the evolution of a leg novelty first found in spiders: ...

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