Because orb webs are so ubiquitous, it is easy to overlook how astounding they are. The basic scaffolding of an orb web is laid when the spider climbs a vertical surface, such as a tree, and drops a line of silk. This line is incredibly fine, yet is one of the strongest fibres on Earth. The silken thread floats on the wind until it catches on a second nearby vertical surface, such as a branch, to create a tightrope-like horizontal bridge line. The spider then drops another line from the midpoint of the bridge. From this basic frame, the spider strings a non-sticky border and, through a complex series of manoeuvres, creates radius lines—radii—that join the central line to the periphery of the web structure. The spider then weaves its "capture spiral"—a continuous double thread of a specific type of sticky silk that spirals from the outside of the web toward the central hub. At each junction with a radius line, the capture thread is reinforced with a special glue excreted by the spider. The central hub is a non-sticky region where the spider lurks in wait for its prey.
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Special features:
• Your coin is the second coin in our series featuring Canada's animal architects and focuses on the orb-weaving spider and its striking web!
• Your coin features a painted specimen of an orb-weaving spider sub-species bearing light and dark markings on its back, body, and eight legs!
• An excellent gift for nature lovers and an exceptional addition to any collection featuring colour and photo-image designs, Canadian wildlife or Canadiana.
• Your coin is rendered in fine silver (99.99% pure) and is GST/HST exempt.
Design:
Your coin was designed by Canadian artist Yves Bérubé and features a painted specimen of an orb-weaving spider sub-species bearing light and dark markings on its back, body, and eight legs. The spider is viewed from the top, poised atop an embossed orb web rendered in fine detail. The image is lent dimensional detail through expert engraving. The spider occupies the upper left quadrant of the web, moving toward the central hub where it will sit in wait for its unsuspecting insect prey.
Packaging:
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell case lined with a black flock and protected by a black sleeve.
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Special Thanks to the Entomological Society of Canada for assistance with this coin series and congratulations on celebrating 150 years of entomological science and services in Canada.
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