Spiders make traps using light
Some spiders "decorate" their Webs with zigzags and spirals, but the reason why has remained a mystery. Researchers from the University of Sydney now think that the web patterns may be used to reflect ultraviolet light in a way that helps nab insects. From National Geographic:
The team concluded that the webs may be essentially setting a "light trap," where the reflection of the web strands lure passing insects to their deaths.Link
"Interestingly, the webs [decorated with crosses] were a little more sophisticated than we first thought," (researcher Dieter) Hochuli said.
"The spiders seem to be exploiting the sensitivity of some prey to UV light in particular. When we filtered different components of the visual spectrum from webs … we dramatically altered prey-capture rates," he said.
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Super interesting. But nothing like new. Just to back up my assertion, here's a news story from 1997. http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/ask_st/071697.html
Experts were also quick to point out that the webs wouldn't be so tangled if the spiders would simply stop planning to deceive first.
@Strider MT2K
GROAN!!!
I love it!
@Comstock: Yep, seconded. I've been telling people about the ultraviolet trap designs in spiderwebs for years, and I don't even remember where I heard it ("Nature" on PBS perhaps?).
#2 Strider. That has to be one of the funniest boing boing comments I have read ... ever. Still chuckling.
"A Palmer too!� no wonder why
I felt rebuked beneath his eye;
I might have known there was but one
Whose look could quell Lord Marmion."
http://www.geocities.com/poeminister/canto6.htm
My wife once worked with a doctor who had done some studies on this subject many years ago. According to him, there are patterns that appear when webs are viewed in ways that simulate the vision of insects. I remember him mentioning one particular type of spider which created complex webs that looked to humans like webs but when viewed by insects, appeared to be large flowers. Amazing stuff really.
Near my home is a bridge over the Vltava river, that has lights in 1m intervals under the railing. Every year, there is an Araneus spider web under every light. The spiders figured out that the light attracts insects, so they build their nets under the lights. Smart little creatures.
The zigzags also serve to warn off birds from flying into the webs and destroying them. Birdwatchers have exploited this by mimicking the zigzag designs to keep birds from crashing into windows. (This works, we do this at our house).
I'm late to the party but #2 made me laugh aloud, twice!
I recently visited Prague and am wondering if that's where you're from??? I also visited Czecky Krumlov. I thought the Czech republic was fabulous!! kmit