Silk production from tarantula feet questioned/Gorb et al. reply

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 461; no. 7267; p. E9
• Main Authors: Pérez-Miles, Fernando, Panzera, Alejandra, Ortiz-Villatoro, David, Perdomo, Cintya, Gorb, Stanislav N, Niederegger, Senta, Hayashi, Cheryl Y, Summers, Adam P, Vötsch, Walter, Walther, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 22.10.2009
• Subjects: Insects; Legs; Scanning electron microscopy; Silk
• ISSN: 0028-0836

The presence of conspicuous, dense scopulae with spatulated setae on the ventral surface of tarsi andmetatarsi of all tarantulas seemsincompatible with the presence of spinning spigots in a lower layer, because scopula setae might interfere with silk release. A 192, 1223-1232 (2006). doi:10.1038/nature08404 Gorb et al. reply Replying to: F. Pérez-Miles, A. Panzera, D. Ortiz-Villatoro & C. Perdomo Nature 461, doi:10.1038/nature08404 (2009) The data presented by Pérez-Miles et al.1 call into question the production of tarantula tarsal silk2, but there remains substantive evidence that would seem to contradict their assertion that tarsal silk is solely due to abdominal silk entangled on to hind legs. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy examination of tarsal silk reveals a distinct broad area at the beginning of the fibre that we interpret as an initial fluid (see Fig. 1).