Transmission of vibrations in funnel and sheet spider webs.

Behavior of the funnel web building spider, Hololena curta, was observed. The spider is dependent on vibratory signals transmitted through the web. Prey localization usually necessitates two to four pauses and reorientation, and cannot proceed if the prey ceases to struggle. Treating the web as a stretched membrane, we calculated fundamental and overtone normal frequencies and transmission velocities. Unlike the results reported for orb webs, resonance does appear to be a significant factor in the funnel web.