Spinneret (spider)
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A
garden spider spinning its web.
Silk can be seen coming from two spinnerets (click on image to view larger version).
The spinneret can be seen on this Cross Spider at the rear end
This Barn Spider encases her prey in silk emanating from her spinneret seen in the foreground of the image
A spinneret is a spider's or insect larva's silk-spinning organ. It is usually on the underside of a spider's abdomen, to the rear. While most spiders have six spinnerets, some have two, four, or eight. They move independently and in concert. Different species of spiders use silk extruded from spinnerets to build webs, to entrap insects by running round them, to make egg-cases, to catch the wind and fly (ballooning), etc. Some insect larvae (including silkworms) extrude silk to make a protective cocoon for their metamorphosis.
The discovery of silk-producing organs on the feet of the zebra tarantula (Aphonopelma seemanni) has led to questions about the origins of spinnerets. It has been hypothesised that spinnerets were originally used as climbing aids on the feet and evolved and were used for webmaking at a later time.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Gorb, SN; Niederegger S, Hayashi CY, Summers AP, Votsch W, Walther P (September 28 2006). "Bio materials: silk-like secretion from tarantula feet". Nature 443 (7110): 407. doi:10.1038/443407a. PMID 17006505.
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