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This worm can give Spiderman a run for his money. Using special glue cannons, it shoots out sticky webs that harden in seconds – ensnaring predators and prey alike. Now the secrets behind the worm’s superhero talent have been unlocked.

at Adolfo Ibanez University in Chile and his colleagues used high-speed cameras to study the worm’s cannons in action. They found that pressure builds up as glue from a large reservoir behind the worm’s head is forced through the narrow gun barrel. The pressure causes the pipe, which has no rigid supports, to jump about wildly while it discharges its payload, like a high-pressure hose. This generates sideways motion at speeds 25 times faster than muscles could produce.

The insight could help us design a range of products, from inkjet printers to better drug delivery systems, says Concha. at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, sees potential for use of the worm’s glue in gels that could stop people in their tracks, replacing tasers, or to stick wounds together.

Journal reference: Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7292