How High Can Spiders Fall?
WouterIf you’ve ever seen a large spider ballooning in the air, you may have wondered how high can spiders fall. This technique has been used for centuries to propel a spider from the ground to the sky. But scientists have had a hard time figuring out how it works.
During a ballooning, a spider is pulled into the air by a sticky substance called silk. Once it reaches the top of the sky, the spider opens its legs wide to gain more air resistance.
Scientists have long been interested in the mechanical process that makes spiders balloon. They have also studied the interactions between spider silk and the air currents around them. Until now, however, there was a lack of clear data on how spiders are forced into the air.
Researchers have captured ballooning spiders in the United States. A Department of Agriculture entomologist caught a spider ballooning near the U.S.-Mexico border in 2014.
The spider’s body has a number of short hairs that catch air. This creates more drag, making it float in the air. A strand of silk is nine feet long. This provides the spider with a superior climbing ability.
The Joro spider, a blue, black and yellow arachnid native to Japan, has a similar ballooning mechanism. These spiders can survive cold temperatures, as well as brief freezes. They are about the size of a child’s palm, and are not venomous.
In 2013, the population of Joro spiders in the United States exploded. They began to spread across Georgia. A researcher at the University of Georgia wondered whether the spiders would spread to other areas.
