Abstract
THE orb web of the garden cross spider Araneus diadetnatus is made up of two types of thread with distinctive mechanical properties: stiff radial threads which sag when contracted by only 10%, and elastic circumferential 'capture' threads which can be contracted to less than 5% of their original length in the web without sagging1-5. Everyday silk is stiff, but can be plasticized by water6-9. It is known that capture threads are coated with a thin layer of aqueous glue10-12, and the question arises as to whether this layer can account for their remarkable elasticity. The evidence presented here suggests that the differences between radial and capture threads are primarily the result of the water coating of the capture threads, which both plasticizes the silk and provides additional elasticity from the surface tension of the liquid.
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Vollrath, F., Edmonds, D. Modulation of the mechanical properties of spider silk by coating with water. Nature 340, 305–307 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/340305a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/340305a0
