Funnel-webs are thought to be the world's most venomous spiders. Now, scientists examining these creatures have discovered that some of their venom may vary depending on specific circumstances and conditions. This could offer insight regarding how these creatures could be helpful when it comes to human health.
Funnel Web-Spiders
According to the Australian Museum, funnel-web spiders are considered the spider fauna's most notorious members. They can be seen across eastern Australia.
Per Britannica, they got their name from their funnel-shaped webs. These webs stretch at the tube's mouth while the spider sits within the narrow funnel, waiting for its prey to get into contact with the web. When this does happen, the funnel-web spider then speedily moves out and catches its prey at the mouth of the funnel.
While it is known that these creatures are notoriously venomous, a recent study looked into the venom that different funnel-web spider species produced under varying conditions. Dr. Linda Hernández Duran, who is from the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine at James Cook University, led the study.
Dr. Hernández Duran explains that funnel-webs are also known to have the most complex venoms in the whole natural world, Phys reports. These creatures are valued because of their natural bioinsecticides and therapeutics. The bioinsecticides, specifically, could be hidden within their molecules of venom. She adds that knowing more about the production of such venom could be a step forward in uncovering the potential that they have.
Read also: Blind Arachnids: Funnel Web Spiders in Israel, Slowly Losing Sight Based on Novel Analysis
Funnel-Web Spider Venom Varies Depending on Conditions
As part of the study published in the PLOS One journal, the team gathered four different funnel-web species. These were Sydney funnel-web (Atrax robustus), Border Ranges (Hadronyche valida), Southern tree-dwelling (Hadronyche cerberea), and Darling Downs (Hadronyche infensa). Each species was subjected to various tests, including air puffing and tweezer prodding.
Dr. Hernández Duran notes that they mapped the behavior of these creatures and mapped their heart rate using a laser monitor to come up with their metabolic rate's proxy value. Then they gathered the venom and examined it using a mass spectrometer.
They observed that some spiders had venom variations that depended on certain factors, such as heart rate and defensiveness. Dr. Hernández Duran explains that for the Border Ranges species, some venom component expression was linked to defensiveness and heart rate. Other species did not demonstrate such links, which shows that certain links could be specific to certain spider species.
She also adds that venom usage and aggressive behavior could have costs in terms of metabolism. She notes that because of this, spiders could utilize various behavioral strategies in order to compensate for such shelled costs. The findings posit that spiders could boost their metabolic rate when venom is used and reduce movement in the face of a threat.
Overall, the results stress the links between physiology, behavior, and venom composition among funnel-web spiders. The researchers also displayed how certain components of venom are influenced by specific physiological or behavioral variables and that such links could be dependent on context. Such valuable insights could help with further understanding and exploration of venom's ecological role.
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