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- Publications
- Influence
Revision of the genera and tropical American species of the spider family Uloboridae
- B. Opell
- Biology
- 1979
- 133
- 12
Deep molecular divergence in the absence of morphological and ecological change in the Californian coastal dune endemic trapdoor spider Aptostichus simus
- J. Bond, M. Hedin, M. Ramirez, B. Opell
- Medicine, Biology
- Molecular ecology
- 1 April 2001
Aptostichus simus is a trapdoor spider endemic to the coastal dunes of central and southern California and, on morphological grounds, is recognized as a single species. Mitochondrial DNA 16S rRNA… Expand
Adhesive recruitment by the viscous capture threads of araneoid orb-weaving spiders
- B. Opell, M. Hendricks
- Medicine, Biology
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- 15 February 2007
SUMMARY The sticky prey capture threads of orb-webs are critical to web performance. By retaining insects that strike the web, these spirally arrayed threads allow a spider time to locate and subdue… Expand
Economics of spider orb-webs: the benefits of producing adhesive capture thread and of recycling silk
- B. Opell
- Biology
- 1 August 1998
1. The replacement of dry, fuzzy cribellar prey capture thread by viscous, adhesive capture thread was a major event in the evolution of orb-weaving spiders. Over 95% of all orb-weaving species now… Expand
Phylogeny and taxonomy of thegenera of south-western North American Euctenizinae trapdoor spiders and their relatives (Araneae: Mygalomorphae, Cyrtaucheniidae)
The primary focus of this paper is to evaluate the monophylyand intergeneric relationships of the cyrtaucheniid subfamily Euctenizinaeand to a lesser degree the monophyly of Cyrtaucheniidae. Using… Expand
The adhesive delivery system of viscous capture threads spun by orb-weaving spiders
- B. Opell, M. Hendricks
- Mathematics, Medicine
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- 15 September 2009
SUMMARY The sticky viscous capture threads in araneoid orb-webs are responsible for retaining insects that strike these webs. We used features of 16 species' threads and the stickiness that they… Expand
Humidity affects the extensibility of an orb-weaving spider's viscous thread droplets
- B. Opell, Shannon E. Karinshak, M. Sigler
- Materials Science, Medicine
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- 1 September 2011
SUMMARY The prey-capture threads found in most spider orb webs rely on viscous droplets for their stickiness. Each droplet is formed of a central mass of viscoelastic glycoprotein glue surrounded by… Expand
van der Waals and hygroscopic forces of adhesion generated by spider capture threads
- Anya Hawthorn, B. Opell
- Medicine, Biology
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- 15 November 2003
SUMMARY Cribellar thread is the most primitive type of sticky prey capture thread found in aerial spider webs. Its outer surface is formed of thousands of fine fibrils that issue from a cribellum… Expand
Capture thread extensibility of orb-weaving spiders: testing punctuated and associative explanations
Spider orb-webs contain sticky prey capture threads and non-sticky support threads. Primitive orb-weavers of the Deinopoidea produce dry cribellar threads made of thousands of silk fibrils that… Expand