Responses of the spider Argiope aurantia to low frequency phasic and continuous vibrations

I maintained female orb-weaving spiders, Argiope aurantia, in the laboratory and subjected them to low frequency phasic and continuous transverse vibrations of known frequency, amplitude, and position on the web. Stimuli were administered for periods of 1 min and all behaviour recorded. Pumping was associated with tactile contact to the spider's abdomen. Pumping increased with increasing frequency of phasic stimuli delivered to the web surface. Attack increased linearly with the log of stimulus frequencies between 0 and 14 Hz for stimuli delivered to the catching spiral. Dropping occurred only when high frequencies and amplitudes of stimuli were administered to the spider's abdomen and the hub of the web.