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In#some#ways#spiders#look#like#insects.##They#have#the#same#hard#outer#casing,#called#an#exoskeleton.#But#

instead#of#six#legs#they#have#eight.#

#

Spider'webs'

Spiders#are#web-spinners#and#hunters.#Some#spin#a#web#

and#wait#for#unwary#insects#to#fly#into#it,#like#many#

#

In#the#samples#provided#for#the#SEM#simulator#can'you'

see'any'differences#in#the#appearance#of#the#silk#

produced#by#a#web-spinner#(top)#and#that#of#the#house#

spider#that#shelters#under#silk#but#hunts#the#walls#and#ceilings#for#prey#(seen#in#the#left#image#below)?##

#

Can'you'think'of'a'reason'why'silks'from'different'spiders'might'look'different?'

#

In#the#Forensic#Evidence#topic#in#the#SEM#simulator#there#is#silk#produced#by#a#silk#moth.#You#can#compare'

this'silk'to'spider'silk.#You#can#also#measure#the#size#of#the#strands.#Learn#how#to#do#this#on#the#Measuring#

As#hunters,#spiders#have#strong#jaws.#Using#the#SEM#simulator,#see#if#you#can#work'out'what'a'garden'

spider'was'eating'for'its'last'meal.#Hint:#you#may#need#to#look#at#some#of#the#other#insect#samples#to#find#

the#evidence#that#will#lead#you#to#an#answer.#

#

#

Some%spider%silk%has%even%been%used%to%make%clothes:%

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/jan/23/golden-silk-cape-spiders-in-pictures#

http://www.wired.com/2009/09/spider-silk/#