Newly Found Flic-Flac Desert Spider Inspires Robot

A new species of spiders noted for its flic-flac jumps like a gymnast, has been discovered.

The newly identified nocturnal spider moves with flic-flac jumps or cartwheels using its legs for rolling and propelling.  Discovered by Prof. Dr. Ingo Rechenberg, the new species dubbed 'Cebrennus rechenbergi', was found in the Erg Chebbi desert in southeastern Morocco close to the Algerian border.

The species was passed on to Dr. Peter Jager, an expert at the Senckenberg Research Institute, for taxonomic determination. Based on the morphological examination Dr. Jager confirmed that the spider is a new species of arachnids.

The spider was determined as a new species based on the differences in the sex organs. The new specie is a close relative of Cebrennus villosus in Tunisia.  Apart from this, its locomotion also distinguishes the species.

The spider is named after Prof Rechenberg. Unlike its closest relative from Nambia, the golden rolling spider, which rolls down sand dunes, the new species uses its feelers and other specialized elongated bristles to create a tube-like home in the sand, stringed by silk threads that offer protection against the sun as well predators.

According to the LatinoPost, the flic-flac movements push the spider forward at a pace that is equal to five miles per hour, twice as fast as it moves when it's walking. It is this distinct locomotion that offers the spider superior flexibility as it moves along the ground, uphill or downhill.

The cartwheeling spider displays this behavior when faced with threats from congener, scorpions, other spiders or humans. 

Inspired by the spider's flic-flac movement, Rechenberg developed a 25cm long model of a spider robot and named it Tabbot after Tabacha- the word for spider in Berber language. The Tabbot can move by walking as well as by turning somersaults. This tobbot can be employed in agriculture, ocean floors or even Mars.

Dr. Peter Jager explains, "It is our goal to record and preserve the diversity of all life on our planet, i.e., the biodiversity."

The finding was recorded in journal Zootaxa.