Flic flac spider series#

In fact, the flic-flac moves propel the spider across the sand at some 6.5 feet per second (2 meters per second), which is twice as fast as its walking speed.Ĭ. On the other hand, its Tunisian relative moves only by rolling its body down sand dunes.

The spider propels itself off the ground and moves its legs in a flic-flac motion to go uphill, downhill or on level ground. 'However, the unique mode of locomotion also serves as a criterion to distinguish the species,' Jäger said in a statement.

rechenbergi from its Tunisian cousin by looking at minute differences in the sex organs of the spiders. 'I caught the spider by hand, and I took it to my car - and in the morning, I tried to take a good photograph of the spider,' Rechenberg said, adding that he then took the spider with him to Germany and showed it to arachnologist Peter Jäger, who determined that the animal was a new species.Ĭebrennus rechenbergi looks similar to another spider species, Cebrennus villosus, which lives in Tunisia. Researchers officially named the spider gymnast Cebrennus rechenbergi after Ingo Rechenberg, a scientist from Berlin who discovered the animal on a trip to Morocco five years ago. The dancing arachnid has even been nicknamed the 'flic-flac spider' for its gymnastic dexterity and has served as inspiration for a creepy-crawly robot. New Spider Species Cartwheels Down Sand Dunesīy Agata Blaszczak-Boxe, Staff Writer | 03:43pm ETĪn agile spider that somersaults down sand dunes has been discovered in the deserts of Morocco. The flic-flac spider can reach speeds of up to 2 m/s using forward or back flips to evade threats.

This behavior is different than other huntsman spiders, such as Carparachne aureoflava from the Namib Desert, which uses passive cartwheeling as a form of locomotion.

Flic flac spider series#

Using a series of rapid, acrobatic flic-flac movements of its legs similar to those used by gymnasts, the spider is able to actively propel itself off the ground, allowing it to move both down and uphill, even at a 40 percent incline. The spider creates its dwelling with its pedipalps (feelers) and bristles, forming long, vertical tubes out of sand and silk. It spends the hot desert days in its cool burrow in the sand protected from the sun and predators. The Moroccan flic-flac spider is nocturnal and is known to feed on moths before sunrise. Males and females are similarly colored white with black scopulae on their ventral legs, and yellow coloring on their dorsal opisthosoma and femora. Male bodies measure 13.8 to 19.0 mm (0.54 to 0.75 in) long female bodies measure 19 to 19.5 mm (0.75 to 0.77 in) long. rechenbergi as a medium-sized huntsman spider. After observing small variations in the genitalia of the two species and noticing the distinctive flic-flac motion of the spider, Jäger confirmed its status as a new species. It was initially confused with the Tunisian spider Cebrennus villosus, but later identified as a separate species by Peter Jäger of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum. Rechenberg may have first encountered the spider on a trip to Morocco as early as 2006, but it was not until 2008 that he collected the first specimen. The spider is named after its discoverer, Ingo Rechenberg, bionics professor at the Technische Universität Berlin. It is one of 17 species in the genus Cebrennus, typically found in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. rechenbergi lives in the sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert located in Errachidia Province of the Meknès-Tafilalet region, in the southeastern part of Morocco near the border of Algeria. The discovery of the Moroccan flic-flac spider has influenced biomimetic robot research, resulting in the development of an experimental robot based on the spider's motion.Ĭ. rechenbergi is the only spider known to use this unique form of rolling locomotion. It inhabits the sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert where if provoked or threatened it can escape by doubling its normal walking speed using forward or backward flips similar to acrobatic flic-flac movements used by gymnasts. Moroccan Flic-flac Spider - Cebrennus rechenbergiĬebrennus rechenbergi, also known as the Moroccan flic-flac spider and Cartwheeling spider, is a species of huntsman spider indigenous to Morocco.