Sailing Spiders?! Young Arachnids Eschew Flight For the Sea

Morito only determined this after observing the behavior of a whopping 325 adult spiders belonging to 21 common species, as found on protected islands around Nottinghamshire, UK.

Aside from field observations, the researcher exposed these collected spiders to trays of water and pump-generated air - simulating the same travel conditions they'd encounter when ballooning.

The result, as detailed in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology, showed that sea-stranded spiders could often adapt elaborate postures, lifting their spindly legs to create what essentially functioned as sails. This allowed them to maintain a steady course even on turbulent waters, increasing the chances that they would find new land despite their unfortunate fall from the sky.

Interestingly, Morito and his colleagues found that the spiders most adapted for air travel were also the best 'sailors.'

"Being able to cope with water effectively 'joins the dots' as far as the spider is concerned," study co-author Sara Goodacre of the University of Nottingham added. "If landing on water poses no problem then in a week or two they could be a long way away from where they started."

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