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Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

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Spider orientation and hub position in orb webs.

Samuel Zschokke¹, Kensuke Nakata

¹Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056, Basel, Switzerland. samuel.zschokke@unibas.ch

Die Naturwissenschaften

|October 1, 2009

Summary

Orb-web spiders optimize foraging by adjusting web hub position. Waiting head down is usually faster, explaining web asymmetry, but head-up waiting can be beneficial in specific conditions for these central place foragers.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral ecology
Biomechanics
Arachnology

Background:

Orb-web spiders (Araneae: Araneoidea, Uloboridae) are territorial central place foragers.
Optimal foraging theory suggests a circular arena with the forager at the center.
Observed deviations in orb web hub position suggest factors beyond simple geometry.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the relationship between spider running speeds, prey-waiting orientation, and orb web vertical asymmetry.
To model the factors influencing the deviation of the web hub from the geometric center.

Main Methods:

Development of an analytical model.
Construction of a refined simulation model.

Main Results:

Waiting head down is generally more efficient for prey capture than waiting head up.
Asymmetrical running speeds (downwards vs. upwards) combined with head-down orientation likely cause vertical web asymmetry.
Head-up waiting can be advantageous for spiders with low speed asymmetry and high prey tumbling rates.
Spiders waiting head up should position their hub lower than those waiting head down.

Conclusions:

Spider orientation and asymmetrical locomotion are key factors in orb web structure.
Web asymmetry is a functional adaptation to optimize prey capture efficiency in orb-web spiders.
The models provide insights into the evolutionary pressures shaping orb-web morphology and spider behavior.