Rufus net-casting spiders can tune the stiffness and elasticity of their webs thanks to loops of silk, scanning electron ...

After a spider finishes weaving its web, it sometimes adds one last touch. A bright zigzag down the middle, like a silken “X.” These flourishes, known as stabilimenta, have puzzled scientists for a ...

Whether it's a sudden dash across the garage or silhouette in a backyard web, spiders evoke fear in many people. But ...

Scientists have officially brought genetic engineering to the spider's web. For the first time, researchers have created a gene-edited spider that spins red fluorescent silk. Led by a team at the ...

A spider no larger than a coin has upended what scientists thought they knew about natural materials. Discovered in the wilds of Madagascar, Darwin’s bark spider spins silk tougher than Kevlar, a very ...

A tethered mosquito approaches the web in the path of release of the cone, and triggers web release response. Credit: S.I. Han and T.A. Blackledge, 2024. Ray spiders deploy an unusual strategy to ...

Every year Halloween enthusiasts adorn their homes with synthetic cobwebs. But humans aren’t the only creatures who decorate their abodes. Spiders bedeck their webs with “stabilimenta”—various woven ...

Have you ever entered a seldom-used room, only to be met by an unexpected web clinging to your face? Or perhaps during an early morning walk, you’ve paused to admire the delicate artistry of a web, ...

Researchers have found evidence that a common North American spider species alters its webs to deal with urban noise pollution. By Joshua Rapp Learn There’s nothing worse than a noisy neighbor when ...