Micromechanical properties of strain-sensitive lyriform organs of a wandering spider (Cupiennius salei)

Abstract

Highly sensitive lyriform organs located on the legs of the wandering spider Cupiennius salei allow the spider to detect nanometer-scale strains in the exoskeleton resulting from locomotion or substrate vibrations. Morphological features of the lyriform organs result in their specialization and selective sensitivity to specific mechanical stimuli, which make them an interesting for bioinspired strain sensors. Here we utilize atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy to probe nano-scale mechanical properties of the covering membrane of two lyriform organs found on Cupiennius salei: the vibration sensitive metatarsal lyriform organ (HS10) and the proprioreceptive tibial lyriform organ (HS8). Force distance curves (FDCs) obtained from AFM measurements displayed characteristic multi-layer structure behavior, with calculated elastic moduli ranging from 150MPa to 500MPa for different regions and indentation depths. The viscoelastic behavior of the sensor materials observed in this probing suggests mechanical relaxation times playing a role in the time-dependent behavior of the lyriform organs.

Crack-based and Hair-like Sensors Inspired from Arthropods: A Review

“…Fig. 1 shows the cover membrane of two lyriform organs: the vibration sensitive metatarsal lyriform organ (HS10) and the proprioreceptive tibial lyriform organ (HS8) [8] . The distal end of the lyriform organ of the metatarsus is a pad that cushions the joint between the metatarsus and tarsus.…”

“…1e and 1f) [9] . It has also been found that the pad plays a key role in HS10 compression (stimulation), including large initial deformation caused by the tarsus (tens of µm) into smaller deformation (tens of nm) [8] .…”

“…These two sensilla have a large difference in the division of labor. The slit sensilla mainly perceives in-the-plane strain to accept nearby information [8] , such as vibration [5,9] . The trichobothria sensilla mainly perceives the forces generated by the out-of-plane flow to accept nearby information, such as air flow rate [6] .…”

Highly Efficient Mechanoelectrical Energy Conversion Based on the Near‐Tip Stress Field of an Antifracture Slit Observed in Scorpions

“…The dendrite branching of mechanosensory neuron needs to cover the area, setting the receptive field to encompass its sensory input . For the compound slit sensilla of spider, the attachment of the dendrite to the outer membrane covering each slit was visible externally and known as the coupling cylinder . Similarly, the dendrite terminal of H. petersii located in the vicinity of each slit tip shown a coupling cylinder ( Figure a–c and Figure S5, Supporting Information).…”

Orientation behavior of riparian long‐jawed orb weavers (Tetragnatha elongata) after displacement over water

“…Yet in other species, Cupiennius salei , ablating the eyes has little effect on navigation (Barth & Seyfarth, 1971; Seyfarth & Barth, 1972). In these cases, numerous small slits located on the legs, known as lyriform organs, likely serve to provide air current or olfactory information that permits the animals to navigate in the absence of vision (Schmid, 2014; Wiegmann et al., 2019; Young et al., 2016). All the trials in our study were conducted under clear skies when sun compass and polarized light cues should have been available.…”