Boo! Just in time for Halloween 2010, an article in PLoS ONE, by Agnarsson, Kuntner, and Blackledge introduces us to the Darwin's Bark Spider (Caerostris darwini) of Madagascar, first identified in November of 2009. The spider's silk is ten times stronger than a comparable Kevlar sample and its giant webs have been found spanning small rivers and lakes. Here at Future-ish, we're big fans of biomimicry and sustainable biomaterials, but we're happy that these particular spiders only live in Madagascar. eek. Image: Matjaž Kuntner
Darwin's Bark Spider spins big brawny silk
Boo! Just in time for Halloween 2010, an article in PLoS ONE, by Agnarsson, Kuntner, and Blackledge introduces us to the Darwin's Bark Spider (Caerostris darwini) of Madagascar, first identified in November of 2009. The spider's silk is ten times stronger than a comparable Kevlar sample and its giant webs have been found spanning small rivers and lakes. Here at Future-ish, we're big fans of biomimicry and sustainable biomaterials, but we're happy that these particular spiders only live in Madagascar. eek. Image: Matjaž Kuntner