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Studies on the properties of spider silk

Jeyaparvathi S., Manikandan K., Baskaran S., and Ga. Bakavathiappan

Web weaving spiders depend upon the mechanical performance of capture threads. Many spiders depend upon webs to capture prey. Web function results from architecture and mechanical performance of the silk. We studied the properties of silken threads collected directly from field and laboratory condition to test for silk performance to different aspects of prey capture. We measured the length and width of four different types of webs like orb web, funnel web, dome web and irregular mesh web and we also measured the width of the single silken thread of the four spider webs. The mechanical properties of different type web threads were studied by measuring the width of the single thread using micrometry. The width of the prey capture thread was found to be higher in the orb web. The width of the egg sac thread was higher in the dome web and orb web. The length and width of different types of web were measured. The higher length of different types of web was found in orb web. We found that the orb webs were stiffer and stronger. These findings yield insight into the strength of the capture threads.