A newly discovered Australian ballista spider has evolved one of the most specialized hunting strategies ever seen. Instead of chasing prey, it builds a spring-loaded silk snare that appears to target a single species: The aggressive green tree ant. Scientists think the spider may even lure the ants into attacking the trap, causing them to trigger the catapult on themselves. It’s the first known spider whose web is designed for one prey species — and the first where the prey activates the trap.This article was originally published on Mongabay


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[–] 5 points 5 days ago

Here is a video of the trap in action. https://youtube.com/shorts/cgJQ-hf9B3E

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  • [–] 3 points 5 days ago

    Wake me up when a spider uses the superior siege engine: the trebuchet.

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