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Ogre-Faced Spider Don’t Have Ears but can Hear Sounds, Study Shows



A study published in the Current Biology last October 29, 2020 (Thursday) with the title “Ogre-Faced, Net-Casting Spiders Use Auditory Cues to Detect Airborne Prey” showed that the ogre-face and net-casting spider, Deinopis spinosa or D. spinosa can hear sounds at least 2-meter away from the source of the sound and this spider actively capture its prey while being suspended within a framed web.

Where is the Auditory Sensory Organ located in D. spinosa

Based on the published study, the auditory sensory organ was located on the legs of D. spinosa. Furthermore, according to the study, the acoustic sensitivity is sufficient to trigger backward strike behavior.

“Our extracellular methods demonstrated that an auditory sensory organ is located on the legs of D. spinosa—presentation of acoustic stimuli produced neural responses in isolated leg recordings. “

Ogre-Faced, Net-Casting Spiders Use Auditory Cues to Detect Airborne Prey

In addition, the researchers used extracellular recording techniques to investigate the auditory detection abilities of the D. spinosa spider.

Also, in the study published in Current Biology, it is stated that “Spiders do not possess insect-like “ears,” as no arachnid has been found to have a tympanal membrane.”  However, several spider species were reported to detect airborne acoustic stimuli.

“Forward Strike” and “Backward Strike” Behavior

Through the “forward strike”, the D. spinosa lunge downward to ensnare their prey from off the ground beneath them and use a net held between their front four legs. And, this “forward strike” is sensorially mediated by a massive pair of hypersensitive, and night-vision eyes.

The study has stated that D. spinosa can intercept flying insects with a “backward strike”. And this backward strike behavior of the net-casting spider is ballistically rapid, overhead back-twist and it seems that it does not rely on visual cues.

This video shows the Backward Strike of D. spinosa Elicited by Low Tone Acoustic Stimulus. This video was posted in the “Ogre-Faced, Net-Casting Spiders Use Auditory Cues to Detect Airborne Prey” study published in the Current Biology.

D. spinosa At Night

According to the study, D. spinosa avoids predators by day and ambushes its prey by night. At night, the ogre-faced spider builds a shaped like the letter A sparse frame web. And from that, the spider suspends themselves in the air, grasping a relatively small, stretchable net held between their front four legs and wait for insects to pass by.

And according to the research, the near approach of prey triggers explosive acts of body movement and net manipulation that underlie an uncanny ability to ambush prey walking beneath or flying above.

Watch More About D. spinosa

To know more about D. spinosa, check out this video. This video was posted in the “Ogre-Faced, Net-Casting Spiders Use Auditory Cues to Detect Airborne Prey” study published in the Current Biology.

Source: Current Biology

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