Correlated evolution between orb weaver glue droplets and supporting fibres maintains their distinct biomechanical roles in adhesion.

ABSTRACT: Orb weaving spiders employ a 'silken toolkit' to accomplish a range of tasks, including retaining prey that strike their webs. This is accomplished by a viscous capture spiral thread that features tiny glue droplets, supported by a pair of elastic flagelliform fibres. Each droplet contains a glycoprotein core responsible for adhesion. However, prey retention relies on the integrated performance of multiple glue droplets and their supporting fibres, with previous studies demonstrating that a suspension bridge forms, whose biomechanics sum the adhesive forces of multiple droplets while dissipating the energy of the struggling insect. While the interdependence of the droplet's glycoprotein and flagelliform fibres for functional adhesion is acknowledged, there has been no direct test of this h

SUBMITTER: Kelly SD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9327512 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature