SUSAN BATSFORD, GRAPHICS EDITOR, TWITTER @SBATS1; INFOGRAPHIC BY T ARA CORRAN/QMI AGENCY Poison gland Brain Muscular stomach for sucking in food Aorta Heart Ostia Pancreas-liver Alimentary canal Anus Spinnerets Ovary Silk gland Oviduct Book-lung Abdominal nerve cord Stomach Intestine Esophagus Mouth Poison duct Chelicera Eye Spider silk Spider anatomySource: hubcap.clemson.edu Wagga Wagga Perth Brisbane Sydney AUSTRALIA CoralSea Indian Ocean As the wind blows, air currents take hold of the silk and carry the spider along. There are several glands located in the spider's abdomen. Each produce a dierent type of silken thread. There are seven dierent known glands. Each spider possesses only some of these glands and not all seven together. One possible answer is the spiders created lines of silk for “ballooning.” Ballooning: A type of travel often used by younger smaller spiders. Glandula aggregata: Produces the sticky material for the threads. Glandula ampulleceae: Used for the silk of the walking thread. Glandula pyriformes: Used for the produc- tion of the attaching threads. Glandula aciniformes: Produces threads for the encapsulation of prey. Glandula tubiliforme s: Produces thread for cocoons. Glandula coronatae: Used for the production of the adhesive threads. Spiders use spinnerets to produce silk. The dragline silk is secreted by a gland in the abdomen The spider webs were seen near the inland city of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, where 8,000 people were forced from their homes before the flood waters receded on Wednesday. Abdomen Spigot Duct Valve and exits from spigots on the bottom of the spinnerets. Close up view of spinneret Spinnerets have numerous spigots. A spider releases silk threads from its spinnerets. Web and silk How do spiders spin silk? Why and how did they do it? DISCOVERYSilk strands twist together Thousands of spiders have cast strings of silk over vast areas of flood- hit Australia after being forced to seek shelter by the rising waters.
