Spider silk is well known for its exceptional strength and flexibility, yet most mechanical studies focus on orb‑weaving spiders. Tarantulas use silk differently: lining burrows, reinforcing habitats, and marking territory, rather than webbing. As a result, its mechanical performance may differ substantially but remains largely unexplored. I will present tensile testing results from silk collected across multiple tarantula species. Our initial findings suggest that different tarantula groups produce silk with distinct mechanical “signatures.” I will highlight key results, examine their significance for understanding mechanical variation across species, and outline future directions.
Beth Last | Penn State Behrend