The toughest recorded spider egg case silks are woven into composites with tear-resistant architectures

Parvez Alam; Danish Otieno; Matin Nuhamunada; Roselyn Anyango; Jared Odoyo; John Odhiambo; Kenneth Onyango

doi:10.1016/j.msec.2016.06.063

The toughest recorded spider egg case silks are woven into composites with tear-resistant architectures

Parvez Alam, Danish Otieno, Matin Nuhamunada, Roselyn Anyango, Jared Odoyo, John Odhiambo, Kenneth Onyango

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this communication, we report important preliminary evidence for possibly the toughest egg case silk threads recorded to date spun by the hermit spider, Nephilengys cruentata (G¯=193 MJm^− 3). We further elucidate that the egg case itself is woven with a specialised repeat cross-weave that when subjected to tension, drives perpendicular-to-force threads to pile. This piling of threads constrains damage to small areas and retains the architectural integrity of the surrounding egg case material. We deduce that by having ultra-tough threads coupled to a tear resistant architecture, N. cruentata is able to protect its eggs from predators with a considerable level of effectiveness.

Original language	Undefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)	195–199
Journal	Materials Science and Engineering: C
Volume	69
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2016.06.063
Publication status	Published - 2016
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Access to Document

10.1016/j.msec.2016.06.063

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928493116306300

Cite this

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title = "The toughest recorded spider egg case silks are woven into composites with tear-resistant architectures",

abstract = "In this communication, we report important preliminary evidence for possibly the toughest egg case silk threads recorded to date spun by the hermit spider, Nephilengys cruentata (G¯=193 MJm− 3). We further elucidate that the egg case itself is woven with a specialised repeat cross-weave that when subjected to tension, drives perpendicular-to-force threads to pile. This piling of threads constrains damage to small areas and retains the architectural integrity of the surrounding egg case material. We deduce that by having ultra-tough threads coupled to a tear resistant architecture, N. cruentata is able to protect its eggs from predators with a considerable level of effectiveness.",

author = "Parvez Alam and Danish Otieno and Matin Nuhamunada and Roselyn Anyango and Jared Odoyo and John Odhiambo and Kenneth Onyango",

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T1 - The toughest recorded spider egg case silks are woven into composites with tear-resistant architectures

AU - Alam, Parvez

AU - Otieno, Danish

AU - Nuhamunada, Matin

AU - Anyango, Roselyn

AU - Odoyo, Jared

AU - Odhiambo, John

AU - Onyango, Kenneth

N1 - paf Matin Nuhamunada is also affiliated with ÅAU.

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N2 - In this communication, we report important preliminary evidence for possibly the toughest egg case silk threads recorded to date spun by the hermit spider, Nephilengys cruentata (G¯=193 MJm− 3). We further elucidate that the egg case itself is woven with a specialised repeat cross-weave that when subjected to tension, drives perpendicular-to-force threads to pile. This piling of threads constrains damage to small areas and retains the architectural integrity of the surrounding egg case material. We deduce that by having ultra-tough threads coupled to a tear resistant architecture, N. cruentata is able to protect its eggs from predators with a considerable level of effectiveness.

AB - In this communication, we report important preliminary evidence for possibly the toughest egg case silk threads recorded to date spun by the hermit spider, Nephilengys cruentata (G¯=193 MJm− 3). We further elucidate that the egg case itself is woven with a specialised repeat cross-weave that when subjected to tension, drives perpendicular-to-force threads to pile. This piling of threads constrains damage to small areas and retains the architectural integrity of the surrounding egg case material. We deduce that by having ultra-tough threads coupled to a tear resistant architecture, N. cruentata is able to protect its eggs from predators with a considerable level of effectiveness.

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DO - 10.1016/j.msec.2016.06.063

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SN - 0928-4931

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SP - 195

EP - 199

JO - Materials Science and Engineering: C

JF - Materials Science and Engineering: C

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