Cross-Spider in Its Web (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Cross-Spider in Its Web

Caption

This shows a cross-spider, Araneus diadematus, in its orb web. Like many spiders, this species produces several types of silk: a stiff kind for the radial spokes of the web, and a more flexible one for the spirals. The flexible silk is easily deformed by the electrostatic charge of nearby insects, increasing the effectiveness of the web at capturing prey.

Credit

Photo by Victor Manuel Ortega-Jimenez, UC Berkeley.

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