Aromatic aromas

2001/01/04 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia

Costa Rican nomadic spiders (Cupiennius salei) use pheromones to attract males. Female spiders leave silk remains impregnated with pheromones everywhere they pass. When the males perceive the smell touch the leaves or stems of the plants, and if the vibration reaches the female, it returns the signal. With these vibrations are the spiders and the females.

The research was conducted by German chemists with the help of zoologists from the University of Vienna. Specifically, Harald Tichy, expert in tropical spiders, has been relying on them. Stefan Schultz, from the University of Braunscherweig, identified the chemical present only in female silk threads, dimethyl citrate, a substance that had never been found in nature.

In 1993 Schulk discovered that the female spiders of Linyphia triangularis segregated another pheromone. At the moment, only these two species of spider have observed the flow of pheromones as a mechanism of attraction. Therefore, it cannot be deduced that it is given in all spiders.

However, they consider that this topic deserves more research, as these works have shown that it is possible to control the behavior of spiders. It has been proven that the male attracts odors and not the presence of the female. According to researchers, this feature can be used to control spider pests or to spider other insects.