Meeting Abstract
Power amplification through elastic body structures allows animals to generate fast motion beyond the capacity of muscle contraction alone, such as the mantis shrimp’s strike and the flea’s jump. Although some animals like orangutans use external structures to facilitate motion, power amplification through the use of tools or other external structures has never been reported in a non-human organism. Here we demonstrate the first example of power amplification through a constructed external device: the web of the triangle spider, Hyptiotes. The spider stores energy in its web by pulling it taut, similar to drawing back a slingshot or bow string, then releases it for a rapid movement that propels the spider forward. This example of external power amplification has implications for both prey capture and predator escape using an easily renewable and repairable structure that serves as both refuge and tool.
