The great spider foot silk controvesy

[Beatrice Smith]

You may have heard that A. Seemanni was found to produce silk from its feet to help it climb. In October a group of scientists in Uruguay published a comment that they had data which suggested this was not correct, and the spider actually took silk from its usual spinnerets with its feet to stick to smooth surfaces. The original researchers maintain they are correct...

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7267/pdf/nature08404.pdf

Anyone got any comments on this? Has anyone watched their T climbing and noticed it taking silk from its abdomen to act as a tether? Or even doing something that might suggest silk was coming from the feet? I would be very interested to see if anyone has noticed this behaviour, and if it happens in all tarantulas or just A. Seemanni!

[Ray Hale]

It is highly unlikly that spiders secrete silk from their feet as no silk glands are present. In the Arraneomorphs silk is often pulled from the spinnerets with the back legs during prey capture and when spinning webs. I have not heard of spiders secreting silk form the feet. Knowing Fenando Perez Miles I tend to agree with him and his research team. I would need to see the original paper in full ( anyone have it)

Ray

[Beatrice Smith]

The original is here. The fact that they also found urticating hairs on the glass does suggest that they got the silk from their abdomens, but Gorb et al. seem pretty convinced that they are right about spinnerets in the feet (although that might just be stubbornness!)

[Phil Rea]

It is highly unlikly that spiders secrete silk from their feet as no silk glands are present. In the Arraneomorphs silk is often pulled from the spinnerets with the back legs during prey capture and when spinning webs. I have not heard of spiders secreting silk form the feet. Knowing Fenando Perez Miles I tend to agree with him and his research team. I would need to see the original paper in full ( anyone have it)

Ray

Check your e-mail Ray

[Mark Pennell]

Re: The great spider foot silk controvesy

Fernado
Has just sent me this paper. I have admit when I first heard of this I doubted the silk from the feet theory.

I would suggest that given Fernandos expertise I think he may have finally put this one to bed.

Cheers
Mark

[Phil Rea]

Fernado
Has just sent me this paper. I have admit when I first heard of this I doubted the silk from the feet theory.

I would suggest that given Fernandos expertise I think he may have finally put this one to bed.

Cheers
Mark

Having read it too Mark, I would tend to agree. It seems fairly conclusive to me

[Beatrice Smith]

Thanks everyone, that is useful to know!