“Ballooning Spiders: The Case for Electrostatic Flight”, 2013-09-18 ():
[since verified] We consider general aspects of the physics underlying the flight of Gossamer spiders, also known as ballooning spiders. We show that existing observations and the physics of spider silk in the presence of the Earth’s static atmospheric electric field indicate a potentially important role for electrostatic forces [see Feynman] in the flight of Gossamer spiders.
A compelling example is analyzed in detail, motivated by the observed “unaccountable rapidity” in the launching of such spiders from _H.M.S. Beagle_, recorded by Charles Darwin during his famous voyage.