Spider catching trick. - Ask Extension
Hello,When trying to catch a house spider (in the UK), I've found that if I tread firmly or stamp on the floor near (not on) the spider, it will freez...
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Spider catching trick. #587015
Asked August 07, 2019, 12:34 AM EDT
Hello,
When trying to catch a house spider (in the UK), I've found that if I tread firmly or stamp on the floor near (not on) the spider, it will freeze and not move for long enough for me to get a glass and card. If the spider is running, this trick doesn't work - it simply runs faster.
So is the freezing a defence mechanism or some other strategy?
Thank you, David
County Outside United States
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. A study published in 2016 by scientists at Cornell University studying jumping spiders indicates that these spiders can "hear" at much greater distances than was originally thought. The spiders don't have ears, but they have specialized hairs that pick up particle movement. In a story published on National Public Radio (NPR) here in the States, scientists related how spiders tend to "freeze" in place when they "hear" a low-frequency sound. Scientists believe this behavior is an anti-predator response.
Here's a link to the NPR story:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/14/497931790/a-spider-across-the-room-can-hear-you-study-finds
and here's a link to the actual journal article published in Current Biology:
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(16)30985-X.pdf
I hope this information answers your question, and thank you for contacting Ask an Expert.
Jim
Here's a link to the NPR story:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/14/497931790/a-spider-across-the-room-can-hear-you-study-finds
and here's a link to the actual journal article published in Current Biology:
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(16)30985-X.pdf
I hope this information answers your question, and thank you for contacting Ask an Expert.
Jim
Thank you, Jim, your answer makes perfect sense and clears the matter up...for now.
Until similar experiements are carried out with other spiders, English house spiders included,
I think we can surmise that freezing behaviour is probably universal!
Thanks again,
David Hill
You're welcome David. Contact us any time.
Jim
Jim
