A continuum membrane model for small deformations of a spider orb-web

Detecting a Prey in a Spider Orb Web

“…In this section we briefly recall the continuous membrane model introduced in [14] for describing the small transverse deformation of a spider orb-web.…”

“…Now, we recall that the analysis of the initial pre-stress is strictly connected with the process followed by spiders in creating their webs, see [14] for details. In brief, in the first stage of orb web construction, the web configuration is called unfinished web, and the experimental observations by Wirth…”

“…Now, we recall that the analysis of the initial pre-stress is strictly connected with the process followed by spiders in creating their webs, see [14] for details. In brief, in the first stage of orb web construction, the web configuration is called unfinished web, and the experimental observations by Wirth and Barth [19] support the hypothesis of proportionality between the circumferential, T ϑ , and radial, T ρ , pre-stress, namely T ϑ (ρ) = kT ρ (ρ), with k > 0 constant.…”

“…In this paper we shall be concerned with the subsequent stage of the orbweb, the so-called finished web, which is obtained by the spider by removing the auxiliary spiral and replacing it by the catching -or sticky -spiral, which represent the final configuration of the orb-web for prey catching. Uniform tensile pre-stress in the circumferential threads of the finished web can be assumed in this stage (see [14]), namely…”

“…A first two-dimensional dynamical model of spider orb-web was proposed by Morassi, Soler and Zaera [14]. It is a continuous mechanical model able to describe small deformations of a spider orb-web.…”