Got Silk by Jim Baines Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Jim Baines. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.

Got Silk Southern Black Widow Spider Latrodectus mactans The black widow spider is famous for its interesting mating habits. But it’s silk, especially what’s called dragline silk, is pretty special too. Dragline silk is one of seven kinds of silk that an individual spider produces. It’s the silk that provides the structural foundation of the spider’s web and supports the spider’s body as it moves around. It turns out that black widow dragline spider silk is super strong and stretchy compared to most other silks. Which makes it an attractive item for humans to try to copy or modify for use in lightweight but strong clothing or even body armor. (Scientific American, June 13, 2007) Uploaded on 12/13/2012 5:05:48 AM Made with Nikon D700 Digital SLR Camera © Jim Baines Read Photo Discussion   |  Contact Jim Jim's Premium Gallery | Get Your Premium Gallery