Opell Brent D, Schwend Harold S
Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
J Exp Zool A Ecol Genet Physiol. 2008 Jan 1;309(1):11-6. doi: 10.1002/jez.426.
The most commonly encountered spider orb-webs rely on sticky, viscous capture threads to retain prey. These threads are composed of supporting fibers covered by a complex aqueous solution that forms a series of droplets, each with a glycoprotein granule that confers adhesion. This adhesive system normally functions for less than a day before being replaced. Despite their ephemeral nature, we found that the stickiness of viscous threads persists for much longer. When measured over the course of 7 days, small decreases in the adhesion of Larinioides cornutus threads were not statistically significant. Threads of Araneus marmoreus, Argiope trifasciata, and Metepeira labyrinthea were aged for 8-10 months and remeasured under environmental conditions similar to those under which initial measurements were made. When returned to humidity similar to that under which measurements were initially made, neither the droplet volumes nor the stickiness of aged threads differed significantly from those of newly spun threads. These observations indicate that when viscous threads are protected from contamination, the compounds responsible for their hydrophilic and adhesive properties do not degrade easily.
最常见的蜘蛛圆网依靠粘性的捕获丝来留住猎物。这些丝由支撑纤维组成，上面覆盖着一种复杂的水溶液，该溶液形成一系列液滴，每个液滴都有一个赋予粘性的糖蛋白颗粒。这种粘附系统通常在被替换前运行不到一天。尽管其存在时间短暂，但我们发现粘性丝的粘性持续时间长得多。在7天的时间里进行测量时，角园蛛丝的粘附力虽有小幅下降，但在统计学上并不显著。多色金蝉蛛、三角园蛛和迷宫漏斗蛛的丝放置8 - 10个月后，在与初始测量相似的环境条件下重新测量。当恢复到与初始测量时相似的湿度时，老化丝的液滴体积和粘性与新纺丝相比均无显著差异。这些观察结果表明，当粘性丝受到保护不被污染时，赋予其亲水性和粘附性的化合物不容易降解。
