The effects of geometric regularity in spider web architecture on the capture of prey

Abstract

Webs allow spiders to trap prey without spending the energy needed to chase it down. There exist many different types of web architectures, which exhibit high levels of structural diversity. Two very common shapes are the spiral orb web and the sheet web, which mainly differ in architecture - spiral orb webs have a high degree of geometric regularity while sheet webs are completely irregular. An advantage of geometric regularity in any structure is the ability to evenly disperse kinetic energy, therefore reducing the likelihood that the structure will succumb to instability and break. In this study, I compared the number of prey caught in orb webs and sheet webs to see if their architectural differences could affect the number of prey they can trap. I monitored spider webs near my house and compared the average number of prey trapped in orb webs and sheet webs. The results were statistically significant, indicating that webs with geometrically regular architectures can trap more prey. Ultimately, this study can give us insight into how the structures and material properties of webs balance each other to work as functioning traps for prey, and may help reveal new possibilities for the application of spider silk analogues.