Variability in the mechanical properties of spider silks on three levels: interspecific, intraspecific and intraindividual.

Abstract excerpt

The mechanical characteristics of dragline silks collected from a range of spiders drawn from the Argiopidae, Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae and Pisauridae displayed significant inter- and intraspecific differences. Dragline silks of the same species could show considerable variability probably dependent upon spider condition: starvation, for example, lead to decreased breaking elongation in Nephila edulis....

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