Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Design variability in web geometry of an orb-weaving spider

F Vollrath1, M Downes, S Krackow

  • 1Department of Zoology, Aarhus C, Denmark.

Physiology & Behavior
|October 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Environmental and physiological factors significantly impact garden cross spider web geometry. Factors like wind, temperature, humidity, and silk availability alter web size, shape, and mesh density, affecting spider survival.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Long-term trajectories of densely reported depressive symptoms during an extended period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland: Social worries matter.

Comprehensive psychiatry·2024
Same author

Brachytherapy for high grade prostate cancer induces distinct changes in circulating CD4 and CD8 T cells - Implications for systemic control.

Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology·2024
Same author

[Multilocular hepatic masses due to Enterobius vermicularis].

Innere Medizin (Heidelberg, Germany)·2023
Same author

Sensory modulation and negative affect in children at familial risk of ADHD.

Research in developmental disabilities·2021
Same author

An Exploration of Sleep and Family Factors in Young Children at Familial Risk for ADHD.

Behavioral sleep medicine·2020
Same author

Executive function in children with sickle cell anemia on transfusion: NIH toolbox utility in the clinical context.

The Clinical neuropsychologist·2020

Area of Science:

  • Arachnology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Web geometry is crucial for spider predation success.
  • Environmental and physiological factors can influence web construction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of environmental and physiological variables on the web geometry of the garden cross spider (Araneus diadematus).
  • To understand how factors like wind, temperature, humidity, and silk supply influence web structure.

Main Methods:

  • Controlled experiments exposing Araneus diadematus to varying conditions.
  • Measurements of web dimensions, including size, shape, mesh spacing, and spiral counts.
  • Manipulation of environmental factors: wind speed, temperature, and humidity.
  • Altering physiological state: manipulating silk supply through rapid web construction.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Web support shape influenced overall web geometry.
  • Windy conditions resulted in smaller, rounder webs with wider mesh spacing.
  • Temperature changes affected mesh density and capture area.
  • Humidity influenced web and capture-spiral size by altering mesh number.
  • Reduced silk supply led to smaller webs with fewer radii and wider mesh spacing.

Conclusions:

  • Araneus diadematus actively adjusts web geometry in response to environmental cues.
  • Web structure is a plastic trait influenced by immediate conditions and resource availability.
  • These adjustments likely represent adaptive strategies to optimize prey capture and survival under varying conditions.