News 2

Electricity helps cobwebs to capture prey and particulate pollutants

 

Scientists discover the glue of these networks is driver

The glue spider webs conducts electricity, scientists have discovered the University of Oxford. This causes it to be "attracted" to the particles or insects  move through the air, and are loaded with static electricity. The efficiency of the cobwebs to capture volatiles could be exploited to control air pollution, such as industrial sensors efficient way, but cheaper and natural, the researchers say.

Spider webs actively "hunt" their prey by spreading through their surfaces, a rare glue because, in addition to hitting, conducts electricity, scientists have discovered the University of Oxford in the UK attached.

The researchers found that the electrostatic properties of the glue that coats the cobwebs allow these catch all electrically charged particles from pollen pollutants and insects flying.

They also showed that spiral glue these networks can distort the electric field of the Earth a few millimeters around the net, allowing the insects to detect the 'trap' with their antennae before falling into it.

The study, published in the journal Naturwissenschaften , revealed as a quirk of physics can make spider webs from moving all airborne objects, they are positively or negatively charged. This explains why these networks are capable of collecting small particles from the air so efficiently, and why approaching insects. 

Spider webs pollution control 

According to investigators, the common spider webs, present throughout the world, could therefore be used for environmental monitoring, and active filtering air pollutants with an efficiency comparable to that of the most expensive industrial sensors.

"Physical elegant of these networks makes them perfect for capturing air contaminants in active filters, such as aerosols and pesticides, explains Fritz Vollrath, director of the study, a statement of the university.

"The electrical attraction pulls the particles towards the spider webs, so they could be collected to monitor pollution levels, for example, to check for pesticides damaging bee populations."

"An even more intriguing possibility would be to use them to detect certain chemicals in the air just by watching the networks. Many spiders eat their own webs for the purpose of recycling and reuse your silk. In it are therefore particles and chemicals, electrically drawing the web. We know that spiders weave different fabrics depending on what you have spent, for example, can create beautiful fabrics with LSD and terrible cobwebs with caffeine. Hence, the shapes of cobwebs alone can tell whether any chemical in the air is affecting the animal's behavior, "says Vollrath.

Alert electric insect 

In collaboration with Donald Edmonds, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, the researcher has also shown that some cobwebs, as the garden spider or cross spider (Araneus diadematus) , causing local distortions in the electric field Earth, because they behave like drivers discs.

Many insects are able to detect small electrical disturbances, including bees, able to sense the electric fields of different flowers or other bees.

"Almost all flying insects are able to detect electrical disturbances because their antennas work as sensors when their ends are connected to the body by insulating materials, which means that the burden of these ends will be different from the rest of the insect" , Vollrath continues to explain.

"When these insects are close to charged objects, the tips of their antennae move a little, a move they may feel. Bees use this system to detect flowers, so it remains to be seen if they can also use it to avoid the spider webs and avoid becoming food. "

Although electrical disturbances caused by spider webs are of very short range and is not yet clear whether the insects are able to detect them before you get caught, it is clear that the electrostatic charges play an important role in the world of insects.

"People often underestimate the static electricity that builds up in the airborne objects, but it is important at all levels." For example, "the Hindenburg disaster (a German zeppelin airship type, destroyed by fire when I landed in New Jersey on May 6, 1937) could have been caused by a discharge of static electricity, and is known to have helicopters operated by the same cause. Everything that moves through the air develops static charge, so it is fascinating to see how the cobwebs actively exploit this fact to catch prey. It is a great advantage for us that work well, because it also makes them attract pollutants, which makes them an inexpensive and natural way to control pesticides and air quality around the world, "concludes the researcher.

Bibliographic reference:

Fritz Vollrath, Donald Edmonds. Consequences of electrical conductivity in an orb spider's capture web . Naturwissenschaften (2013). DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1120-8.

  

Vocabulary

Allowing: Permitir  

Avoid: Evite

Capable: Capaz

Hunt: Caza                                                          

Prey: Presa

Purpose: Próposito

Silk: Seda

Spent: Gastado

Trap: Trampa