Micromechanical properties of strain-sensitive lyriform organs of a wandering spider (Cupiennius salei).
Highly sensitive lyriform organs located on the legs of the wandering spider Cupiennius salei allow the spider to detect nanometer-scale strains in the exoskeleton resulting from locomotion or substrate vibrations. Morphological features of the lyriform organs result in their specialization and selective sensitivity to specific mechanical stimuli, which make them interesting for bioinspired strain sensors. Here we utilize atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy to probe nano-scale mechanical properties of the covering membrane of two lyriform organs found on Cupiennius salei: the vibration sensitive metatarsal lyriform organ (HS10) and the proprioreceptive tibial lyriform organ (HS8). Force distance curves (FDCs) obtained from AFM measurements displayed characteristic multi-layer structure behavior, with calculated elastic moduli ranging from 150MPa to 500MPa for different regions and indentation depths. In addition, we probed the lyriform organs with a large radius tip, which allowed for probing structural deformation by the application of high forces and large scale deformations without damaging the surface. The viscoelastic behavior of the sensor materials observed in this probing suggests mechanical relaxation times potentially playing a role in the time-dependent behavior of the lyriform organs.



Highly sensitive lyriform organs located on the legs of the wandering spider Cupiennius salei allow the spider to detect nanometer-scale strains in the exoskeleton resulting from locomotion or substrate vibrations. Morphological features of the lyriform organs result in their specialization and selective sensitivity to specific mechanical stimuli, which make them an interesting for bioinspired strain sensors. Here we utilize atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy to probe nano-scale mechanical properties of the covering membrane of two lyriform organs found on Cupiennius salei: the vibration sensitive metatarsal lyriform organ (HS10) and the proprioreceptive tibial lyriform organ (HS8). Force distance curves (FDCs) obtained from AFM measurements displayed characteristic multi-layer structure behavior, with calculated elastic moduli ranging from 150MPa to 500MPa for different regions and indentation depths. The viscoelastic behavior of the sensor materials observed in this probing suggests mechanical relaxation times playing a role in the time-dependent behavior of the lyriform organs.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
Seth L
SL
Young
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
Marius
M
Chyasnavichyus
Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Research Campus Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
Friedrich G
FG
Barth
Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Research Campus Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
Igor
I
Zlotnikov
Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Research Campus Golm, 14424 Potsdam, Germany.
Yael
Y
Politi
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States. Electronic address: vladimir@mse.gatech.edu.
Vladimir V
VV
Tsukruk
D000825:Animal Structures / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005260:Female; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009068:Movement; D013112:Spiders / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
Biosensing; Cupiennius salei; Epicuticle mechanics; Force spectroscopy; Mechanosensing; Relaxation time