Everyone in the City Needs Soundproofing, Even Spiders

Researchers have found evidence that a common North American spider species alters its webs to deal with urban noise pollution.

There’s nothing worse than a noisy neighbor when you are trying to have a nice meal — even if that meal consists of liquefying the insides of your prey before sucking them back up.

New research shows that some spiders living in cities somehow weave soundproofing designs into the fabric of their webs to manage unwanted noise, which can make it difficult for them to find prey and detect mates.

“These spiders have come up with an incredible solution — they are able to use their webs as both a hearing aid and hearing plug,” said Eileen Hebets, a biologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an author of a paper led by Brandi Pessman, a postdoctoral research associate at the university.

Funnel-web spiders are widespread in North America. Quarter-size with legs outstretched, these spiders attach their webs to everything, whether rocks and grass or human objects. They weave a kind of funnel into their webs where they typically hide from predators. Their silk isn’t sticky, so they rely on speed and ambush. After sensing prey on their webs, they burst out and attack, injecting their victims with venom and then liquefying their insides for easy digestion.

Spiders don’t have ears like humans, so they don’t necessarily hear things in the traditional way. But sound produces vibrations that travel through the ground and into their webs via silk strands.

“They really rely on those accurate vibrations to determine where the prey is, what the prey is and whether to attack,” Dr. Pessman said.