Phone: 540-231-7445
Email: bopell@vt.edu

 
Spider Integrative Biology
-Research-
 
 
Our research focuses on spider systematics and integrative biology.  Systematics studies utilize morphological and molecular characters and incorporate aspects of phylogeography.  Current studies include members of the family Uloboridae and the genus Amaurobioides of the family Anyphaenidae.  Current integrative studies examine the adhesive delivery system of viscous capture threads that are spun by araneoid orb-weaving spiders.  These studies model the interaction of threads with surfaces and describe how droplet and axial fiber features determine thread stickiness and how the setal features of insect surfaces affect this adhesion.
 

Research Resources (coming soon)

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