Cebrennus rechenbergi

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Cebrennus rechenbergi
Cebrennus rechenbergi 1.jpg
Cebrennus rechenbergi in action
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Sparassidae
Genus: Cebrennus
Species:
C. rechenbergi
Binomial name
Cebrennus rechenbergi
Morocco, region Meknes-Tafilalet, province Errachidia.png
Map of Morocco with the Errachidia Province in dark red, the region where Cebrennus rechenbergi lives

Cebrennus rechenbergi, also known as the Moroccan flic-flac spider and cartwheeling spider, [1] is a species of huntsman spider indigenous to the sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert in Morocco. If provoked or threatened it can escape by doubling its normal walking speed using forward or backward flips similar to acrobatic flic-flac movements used by gymnasts. [2] [3] C. rechenbergi is the only spider known to use this unique form of rolling locomotion. [4] The discovery of the Moroccan flic-flac spider has influenced biomimetic robot research, resulting in the development of an experimental robot based on the spider's motion. [5] [6]

Contents

Etymology

The spider is named after its discoverer, Ingo Rechenberg, bionics professor at the Technische Universität Berlin. Rechenberg may have first encountered the spider on a trip to Morocco as early as 2006, but it was not until 2008 that he collected the first specimen. [7] [6] [3] It was initially confused with the Tunisian spider Cebrennus villosus , but later identified as a separate species by Peter Jäger of the Senckenberg Nature Research Society. [3] [4] After observing small variations in the genitalia of the two species and noticing the distinctive flic-flac motion of the spider, Jäger confirmed its status as a new species. [4] [3] The holotype is dated 15 July 2009. [5]

Description

Jäger describes C. rechenbergi as a medium-sized huntsman spider. Male bodies measure 13.8 to 19.0 mm (0.54 to 0.75 in) long; female bodies measure 19 to 19.5 mm (0.75 to 0.77 in) long. Males and females are similarly colored white with black scopulae on their ventral legs, and yellow coloring on their dorsal opisthosoma and femora. [5]

Behavior

Cebrennus rechenbergi flic-flacing

The Moroccan flic-flac spider is nocturnal and is known to feed on moths before sunrise. [6] It spends the hot desert days in its cool burrow in the sand protected from the sun and predators. The spider creates its dwelling with its pedipalps (feelers) and bristles, forming long, vertical tubes out of sand and silk. [2] [4] [6] Using a series of rapid, acrobatic flic-flac movements of its legs similar to those used by gymnasts, the spider is able to actively propel itself off the ground, allowing it to move both down and uphill, even at a 40 percent incline. [6] This behavior is different than other huntsman spiders, such as Carparachne aureoflava from the Namib Desert, which uses passive cartwheeling as a form of locomotion. [4] The flic-flac spider can reach speeds of up to 2 m/s using forward or back flips to evade threats. [2] [3]

Distribution

Erg Chebbi sand dune habitat ErgChebbi.jpg
Erg Chebbi sand dune habitat

C. rechenbergi lives in the sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert located in Errachidia Province in southeastern Morocco near the border with Algeria. [5] It is one of 17 species in the genus Cebrennus , typically found in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. [5] [8]

Spider robot

Rechenberg's discovery of the flic-flac spider inspired the development of a biomimetic robot based on the rolling spider locomotion. The design process initially involved at least four generations, with the fourth using six legs in three pairs. [6] [Note 1] Rechenberg named the working machine model Tabbot, based on the Berber word "tabacha", meaning spider. The model, which is approximately 25 cm in length, can both walk in the sand and turn somersaults to move. [4] Rechenberg envisions possible uses for the robot "in agriculture, on the ocean floor, or even on Mars". [4] [9]

Notes

  1. When King 2013 published his work on Rechenberg's robot design, Cebrennus rechenbergi had not yet been differentiated from Cebrennus villosus as a new species. King makes a note of this, writing that any future taxonomic changes were beyond the scope of the book.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dune</span> Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water

A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat regions covered with wind-swept sand or dunes, with little or no vegetation, are called ergs or sand seas. Dunes occur in different shapes and sizes, but most kinds of dunes are longer on the stoss (upflow) side, where the sand is pushed up the dune, and have a shorter slip face in the lee side. The valley or trough between dunes is called a dune slack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomimetics</span> Imitation of biological systems for the solving of human problems

Biomimetics or biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. The terms "biomimetics" and "biomimicry" are derived from Ancient Greek: βίος (bios), life, and μίμησις (mīmēsis), imitation, from μιμεῖσθαι (mīmeisthai), to imitate, from μῖμος (mimos), actor. A closely related field is bionics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arachnid</span> Class of arthropods

Arachnids are arthropods in the class Arachnida of the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegaroons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opiliones</span> Order of arachnids

The Opiliones are an order of arachnids, colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs. As of July 2024, over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total number of extant species may exceed 10,000. The order Opiliones includes five suborders: Cyphophthalmi, Eupnoi, Dyspnoi, Laniatores, and Tetrophthalmi, which were named in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntsman spider</span> Family of spiders (Sparassidae)

Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae, are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometimes are referred to as wood spiders, because of their preference for woody places. In southern Africa the genus Palystes are known as rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders. Commonly, they are confused with baboon spiders from the Mygalomorphae infraorder, which are not closely related.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solifugae</span> Order of arachnids

Solifugae is an order of animals in the class Arachnida known variously as camel spiders, wind scorpions, sun spiders, or solifuges. The order includes more than 1,000 described species in about 147 genera. Despite the common names, they are neither true scorpions nor true spiders. Most species of Solifugae live in dry climates and feed opportunistically on ground-dwelling arthropods and other small animals. The largest species grow to a length of 12–15 cm (5–6 in), including legs. A number of urban legends exaggerate the size and speed of the Solifugae, and their potential danger to humans, which is negligible.

<i>Leucorchestris arenicola</i> Species of spider

Leucorchestris arenicola, commonly called the dancing white lady spider, is a huntsman spider in the family Sparassidae and genus Leucorchestris. It is commonly found in the Namib desert of Namibia. It is often mistaken with the similarly named Carparachne aureoflava, or more commonly known as the wheel spider from the same location. L. arenicola relies on seismic vibrations, called drumming, for communication. It taps its foremost legs on the sand to send messages to other white lady spiders. Male L. arenicola will travel over 50 m in one night searching for a mate. If they find a mate, they must be extremely careful, for drumming the wrong message can be deadly. One of the major features that characterizes its nocturnal behavior is its specialized vision, using eight eyes in different orientations to capture a panoramic view of the surroundings. L. arenicola spiders use temporal summation in order to be able to see dim lighting during night-time wanderings. The species was first described by Reginald Frederick Lawrence in 1962, who described all the species in the genus Leucorchestris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal locomotion</span> Self-propulsion by an animal

In ethology, animal locomotion is any of a variety of methods that animals use to move from one place to another. Some modes of locomotion are (initially) self-propelled, e.g., running, swimming, jumping, flying, hopping, soaring and gliding. There are also many animal species that depend on their environment for transportation, a type of mobility called passive locomotion, e.g., sailing, kiting (spiders), rolling or riding other animals (phoresis).

Robot locomotion is the collective name for the various methods that robots use to transport themselves from place to place.

<i>Scincus scincus</i> Species of lizard

Scincus scincus, also commonly known as the sandfish skink, common sandfish or common skink, is a species of skink notable for its burrowing or swimming behaviour in sand. It is native to the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula, but is also kept as a pet elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algodones Dunes</span> Sand dune field in southeastern California

The Algodones Dunes is a large sand dune field, or erg, located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of California, near the border with Arizona and the Mexican state of Baja California. The field is approximately 45 miles (72 km) long by 6 miles (9.7 km) wide and extends along a northwest-southeast line that correlates to the prevailing northerly and westerly wind directions. The name "Algodones Dunes" refers to the entire geographic feature, while the administrative designation for that portion managed by the Bureau of Land Management is the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. In 1966, Imperial Sand Hills was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. The Algodones Dunes are split into many different sections. These sections include Glamis, Gordon's Well, Buttercup, Midway, and Patton's Valley. Although the Arabic-derived Spanish word algodones translates to "cotton plants", the origin of the toponym is unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrestrial locomotion</span> Ability of animals to travel on land

Terrestrial locomotion has evolved as animals adapted from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Locomotion on land raises different problems than that in water, with reduced friction being replaced by the increased effects of gravity.

<i>Leucorchestris</i> Genus of spiders

Leucorchestris is a genus of African huntsman spiders that was first described in 1962 by R. F. Lawrence, who described all of the species in the genus between 1962 and 1966.

Ingo Rechenberg was a German researcher and professor in the field of bionics. Rechenberg was a pioneer of the fields of evolutionary computation and artificial evolution. In the 1960s and 1970s he invented a highly influential set of optimization methods known as evolution strategies. His group successfully applied the new algorithms to challenging problems such as aerodynamic wing design. These were the first serious technical applications of artificial evolution, an important subset of the still growing field of bionics.

<i>Eusparassus</i> Genus of spiders

Eusparassus is a genus of huntsman spiders, known as the stone huntsman spiders, it was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1903.

Carparachne is a genus of Namibian huntsman spiders that was first described by R. F. Lawrence in 1962. As of September 2019 it contains two species, found in Namibia: C. alba and C. aureoflava. The golden wheel spider uses cartwheeling to move across hot, sandy ground, similar to the related Cebrennus rechenbergi, which uses a flic-flac motion.

<i>Cebrennus</i> Genus of spiders

Cebrennus is a genus of huntsman spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1880. It is considered a senior synonym of Cerbalopsis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthropod adhesion</span>

Arthropods, including insects and spiders, make use of smooth adhesive pads as well as hairy pads for climbing and locomotion along non-horizontal surfaces. Both types of pads in insects make use of liquid secretions and are considered 'wet'. Dry adhesive mechanisms primarily rely on Van der Waals' forces and are also used by organisms other than insects. The fluid provides capillary and viscous adhesion and appears to be present in all insect adhesive pads. Little is known about the chemical properties of the adhesive fluids and the ultrastructure of the fluid-producing cells is currently not extensively studied. Additionally, both hairy and smooth types of adhesion have evolved separately numerous times in insects. Few comparative studies between the two types of adhesion mechanisms have been done, and there is a lack of information regarding the forces that can be supported by these systems in insects. Additionally, tree frogs and some mammals such as the arboreal possum and bats also make use of smooth adhesive pads. The use of adhesive pads for locomotion across non-horizontal surfaces is a trait that evolved separately in different species, making it an example of convergent evolution. The power of adhesion allows these organisms to be able to climb on almost any substance.

Pleorotus was a monotypic genus of Seychelloise huntsman spiders containing the single species, Pleorotus braueri. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1898, and was endemic to the Seychelles. The description was based on a single male collected on Mahe Island in 1894, but none have been found in later collections, and it has been declared extinct.

References

  1. Goldstein, Jack (3 September 2014). 101 Amazing Facts about Spiders: ...and other arachnids. Andrews UK Limited. p. 16. ISBN   9781783339396.
  2. 1 2 3 Prostak, Sergio (May 6, 2014). "Cebrennus rechenbergi: Cartwheeling Spider Discovered in Morocco". Sci-News.com. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 N. BHANOO, SINDYA (May 4, 2014). "A Desert Spider With Astonishing Moves". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bröhl, Ilona; Judith Jördens (28 April 2014). "THE MOROCCAN FLIC-FLAC SPIDER: A GYMNAST AMONG THE ARACHNIDS". Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Jäger, Peter (April 2014). Cebrennus Simon, 1880 (Araneae: Sparassidae): a revisionary up-date with the description of four new species and an updated identification key for all species. Zootaxa, 3790 (2): 339–350. doi : 10.11646/zootaxa.3790.2.4
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 King, R.S. (2013). BiLBIQ: A Biologically Inspired Robot with Walking and Rolling Locomotion. Biosystems and Biorobotics. 2. Springer, Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg. ISBN   978-3-642-34681-1 doi : 10.1007/978-3-642-34682-8
  7. Im Gespräch: Ingo Rechenberg über eine neu entdeckte Art Rollende Spinnen für den Mars. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, p. 7. January 10, 2009.
  8. Platnick, Norman I. (2014). Fam. Sparassidae. The World Spider Catalog, Version 14.5. New York, NY, US: American Museum of Natural History. doi : 10.5531/db.iz.0001 Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  9. Hays, Brooks (6 May 2014). Robot mimics cartwheel movement of desert spider. United Press International. Retrieved 18 July 2014.