Spider webs are nature's GUITARS: Silk 'music' created when insects pluck the threads reveals information about their prey

Study led by Oxford University found that spider silk transmits vibrations across a range of frequencies

When a silk thread is plucked like a guitar string, the sound it makes carries information about prey, mates and the structure of a web to a spider



Experts fired bullets and lasers at webs to study their vibrations and found they can be tuned to a range of harmonics

The findings could inspire invention of tiny light-weight sensors



There have been plenty of songs written about spiders and their webs, and now scientists have found the creatures are musical in their own right.



Using lasers, researchers found spiders pluck their complex constructions like guitar strings to gather information about their surroundings.



Spider silk transmits vibrations across a wide range of frequencies so that when a thread is plucked, the sound created carries information about prey, mates, and even the structural integrity of a web.

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Musical maestros? Scientists have found that spiders pluck their webs like a guitar string to find meals. The silk (pictured) transmits vibrations across a wide range of frequencies so that, when plucked, its sound carries information about prey, mates, and even the structural integrity of a web

MUSICAL SPIDER WEBS Spiders pluck the threads of their webs like a guitar string to glean information about their surroundings.

Spiders silk transmits vibrations across a wide range of frequencies so that, when plucked, the sound that is made carries information about prey, mates, and even the structural integrity of a web.

Spiders have poor eyesight so they rely on the vibration of the silk in their web for sensory information.

They can glean information such as exactly what their next meal is and the quality of a prospective mate.

They receive the information using organs on each of their legs called slit sensillae.

Spiders can ‘tune’ the silk by adjusting the tension and connections to build a better web.

The discovery was made by researchers from the universities of Oxford, Strathclyde, and Sheffield who fired bullets and lasers at spider silk to study how it vibrates.



They found that spider silk can be tuned to a wide range of harmonics.



The findings, published in the journal Advanced Materials, not only reveal more about spiders but could also inspire a wide range of new technologies, such as 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 who led the research at Oxford University.

‘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.’



This technique is used by the spider in its web by ‘tuning’ the silk - controlling and adjusting both the inherent properties of the silk and the tensions and interconnectivities of the silk threads that make up the web.



To study the sonic properties of the spider’s threads, the researchers used ultra-high-speed cameras to film the threads as they responded to the impact of bullets. Lasers were used to make detailed measurements of even the smallest vibration.

The discovery was made by researchers from the universities of Oxford, Strathclyde, and Sheffield who fired bullets and lasers at spider silk to study how it vibrates. They found that spider silk can be tuned to a wide range of harmonics. Images of silk during high-rate ballistic impact are pictured

Dr Shira Gordon of the University of Strathclyde said: ‘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.’



Professor Fritz Vollrath of the Oxford Silk Group at Oxford University added: ‘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.



‘These are traits that would be very useful in light-weight engineering and might lead to novel, built-in “intelligent” sensors and actuators.’



Dr Chris Holland of the University of Sheffield explained that spider silks are well known for their impressive mechanical properties, but the vibrational properties have been relatively overlooked.



‘Now we find that they are also an awesome communication tool. Yet again spiders continue to impress us in more ways than we can imagine.’

