How Spiders Use Electricity to Fly | Decoder

When you think of flying animals, what do you think of? Birds, butterflies, or bees might first come to mind, but what about spiders? Even though they don't have wings, it turns out that spiders are actually some of nature's best aviators.

So, how do spiders take to the skies? Lightning storms are one of nature's most powerful displays of Earth's electricity. But even under normal weather conditions, electricity is all around us. The atmosphere holds a positive electric charge while Earth's surface holds a negative charge.

Just like with magnets, similar charges repel away from each other, and opposite charges attract. This interaction creates something called an electric field. The force of this electric field is what allows for some spiders to defy gravity in a remarkable behavior called ballooning. It typically begins at high pointy areas where the Earth's electric field is the strongest.

First, a spider drops an anchor silk to secure itself. Then, it raises its two front legs in the air, and uses special fine hairs to sense wind and electrical conditions—sort of like a built-in weather station. If the conditions are right, the spider then "tiptoes" on its back legs, raises its abdomen, and releases its silk to the air.

The silk strands are charged, which causes them to repel away from each other rather than tangling. This form of static electricity is just like what happens to your hair after rubbing it with a balloon. Now ready to set sail, the spider breaks off its anchor line, and lifts into the air using the force it gains from the electric field and wind.

Once airborne, spiders likely use their legs to balance or control speed during their dangerous journey. Most of these trips are short, but some can last for thousands of miles, drifting along with wherever the breeze takes them.

There is still a lot to learn about why certain species of spiders take to the skies, and scientists are still gathering clues about how spiders use electricity to perform this gravity-defying feat. What other shocking secrets could these spiders still reveal?