A new study revealed that spiders use their webs to communicate with each other, plucking the netting like guitar strings to send messages.

Researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Strathclyde and Sheffield concluded that spiders pluck their webs like a guitar string, while recipients listen to the echo produced to get the messages. The same communication technique was previously identified in snakes, which use their forked tongues to send messages, as well as dolphins, which navigate through their built-in sonar.

The researchers found out that when plucked, spider silk vibrates across a wide range of frequencies. By listening to the webs' echo, spiders could identify the type of insect trapped, the intentions of other spiders, and whether or not the web needs repairs. The team used bullets, lasers, and high-speed cameras to observe the movements of the spiders.

The researchers noticed that spiders pluck their webs and listen to the echo using their legs. Sensors on spiders' legs called "slit sensillae" enable spiders to detect nanometer vibrations. It is the same sensors that tell the spider if the web is already strong and flexible enough.

Often, the spider would "tune" its silk, control the kind of silk coming out if its spinner, adjust the tightness of the web, or increase the web interconnections. This observation could explain why spiders are often seen moving around the web that could be to repair and increase the tightness of the web.

Spiders' ability to combine exceptional toughness with the ability to detect delicate information may pave the way to additional understanding of lightweight engineering and how it might lead to built-in "intelligent" sensors and actuators.

"Spider silks are well known for their impressive mechanical properties, but the vibrational properties have been relatively overlooked and now we find that they are also an awesome communication tool. Yet again spiders continue to impress us in more ways than we can imagine," said Dr. Chris Holland of the University of Sheffield in a press release.

The findings of the study were published in the June 6 issue of Advanced Materials.