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Ultrastructure of the Spinnerets and Spigots in the Funnel-web Spider, Agelena limbata  

Moon, Myung-Jin (Department of Biological Sciences, Dankook University)
Kang, Chang-Soo (Department of Life Sciences, Hoseo University)
Publication Information
Applied Microscopy / v.33, no.4, 2003 , pp. 315-323 More about this Journal
Abstract
The fine structural characteristics of the spinnerets and spigots of the silk producing apparatus in the adult funnel-web spider, Agelena limbata, were analysed with the light and scanning electron microscopes. Silk producing apparatus of this spider was composed of three pairs of spinnerets (anterior, median, posterior) and four different types of spigots-ampullates, tubuliforms, pyriforms and aciniforms. By the examination of their ultrastructural characteristics, it has been revealed that each spigot on the spinnerets are connected through the typical silk gland within abdominal cavity. Among the three pairs of spinnerets, the posterior pairs were highly elongated and has most characteristic features. Two pairs of large ampullates were connected to anterior spinneret and another two pairs of small ampullates to median spinnerets. Spigots of the tubuliforms were observed only in female and were connected both of median and posterior spinnerets respectively. While spigots of the pyriforms were connected on the anterior spinnerets but aciniforms on both of median and posterior spinnerets respectively.
Keywords
Agelena limbata; Funnel-web spider; Silk; Spigots; Spinnerets;
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