* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, May 9, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Georgia Entertainment CEO says large-scale production is slowing down – Decaturish

    Georgia Entertainment CEO Warns of Slowdown in Large-Scale Productions

    Zugalu Entertainment Welcomes Crimson Herring Studios to Its Family!

    Fall 2025 TV Schedule: Your Guide to the Complete Lineup – Wyoming News Now

    Get Ready for Fall 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to the Exciting TV Lineup!

    Blackstone River Theatre presents music from Scotland with Cantrip – The Valley Breeze

    Experience the Enchanting Sounds of Scotland: Cantrip Takes the Stage at Blackstone River Theatre!

    The viral wireless audio dongle for in-flight entertainment just got a big upgrade – and I love it – ZDNET

    Game-Changer for In-Flight Entertainment: The Upgraded Wireless Audio Dongle You’ll Love!

    Tahoe City Downtown Association opens 4th of July Entertainment Grant Program – Sierra Sun

    Celebrate Independence Day: Tahoe City Launches Exciting 4th of July Entertainment Grant Program!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Technology Innovation to Take Center Stage at The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show – Restaurant Technology News

    Get Ready for a Tech Revolution: The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show Unveils Cutting-Edge Innovations!

    Newmont signs deal to use Chrysos Corporation technology – Capital Brief

    Newmont Partners with Chrysos Corporation to Revolutionize Mining Technology

    Air Force Invests in Whisper’s Ultraquiet Propulsion Technology – FLYING Magazine

    Air Force Invests in Whisper’s Ultraquiet Propulsion Technology – FLYING Magazine

    Trump administration set to overhaul Biden’s AI chip export regulations – TechHQ

    Trump administration set to overhaul Biden’s AI chip export regulations – TechHQ

    Technology is the key to empathy in insurance – InsuranceNewsNet

    Unlocking Empathy: How Technology is Transforming the Insurance Experience

    Technology – Inflexion

    Revolutionizing the Future: The Impact of Cutting-Edge Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Georgia Entertainment CEO says large-scale production is slowing down – Decaturish

    Georgia Entertainment CEO Warns of Slowdown in Large-Scale Productions

    Zugalu Entertainment Welcomes Crimson Herring Studios to Its Family!

    Fall 2025 TV Schedule: Your Guide to the Complete Lineup – Wyoming News Now

    Get Ready for Fall 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to the Exciting TV Lineup!

    Blackstone River Theatre presents music from Scotland with Cantrip – The Valley Breeze

    Experience the Enchanting Sounds of Scotland: Cantrip Takes the Stage at Blackstone River Theatre!

    The viral wireless audio dongle for in-flight entertainment just got a big upgrade – and I love it – ZDNET

    Game-Changer for In-Flight Entertainment: The Upgraded Wireless Audio Dongle You’ll Love!

    Tahoe City Downtown Association opens 4th of July Entertainment Grant Program – Sierra Sun

    Celebrate Independence Day: Tahoe City Launches Exciting 4th of July Entertainment Grant Program!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Technology Innovation to Take Center Stage at The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show – Restaurant Technology News

    Get Ready for a Tech Revolution: The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show Unveils Cutting-Edge Innovations!

    Newmont signs deal to use Chrysos Corporation technology – Capital Brief

    Newmont Partners with Chrysos Corporation to Revolutionize Mining Technology

    Air Force Invests in Whisper’s Ultraquiet Propulsion Technology – FLYING Magazine

    Air Force Invests in Whisper’s Ultraquiet Propulsion Technology – FLYING Magazine

    Trump administration set to overhaul Biden’s AI chip export regulations – TechHQ

    Trump administration set to overhaul Biden’s AI chip export regulations – TechHQ

    Technology is the key to empathy in insurance – InsuranceNewsNet

    Unlocking Empathy: How Technology is Transforming the Insurance Experience

    Technology – Inflexion

    Revolutionizing the Future: The Impact of Cutting-Edge Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

These spiders lure in their prey in some very crafty ways

March 21, 2024
in Science
These spiders lure in their prey in some very crafty ways
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

While many spiders wait for their web to ensnare prey wandering by, other spiders don’t leave their meals up to chance. These arachnids have subtle techniques to lure prey out of their comfort zone and into a trap.

“It’s really a sensory world” for both spiders and their prey, says Pierre-Olivier Montiglio, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Québec at Montréal. “Everybody’s constantly eavesdropping and signaling, producing information and communicating it in some way or another.”

Spiders take advantage of this by using their looks, scent, and touch to trick gullible invertebrates straight into their eight arms.

A female crab spider feasts on a katydid

A female crab spider eats a katydid. The crab spider species Epicadus heterogaster appears as a white flower and glitters in the sun, attracting in prey.

Photograph By JAVIER AZNAR GONZALEZ DE RUEDA, Nat Geo Image Collection

A spider crawls along web.

Scientists aren’t sure whether prey is attracted to spiders like Westring’s spiny spider (Gasteracantha westringi, seen here) because prey are simply attracted to the colors, or because the spiders resemble flowers full of nectar.

Photograph By Etienne Littlefair/Nature Picture Library

Making webs that shimmer

Webs don’t need to be beautiful to be functional and capture food. But the intricacy of some spiders’ webs, like that of the orb-weaver spiders in the genus Argiope, plays a key role in luring prey to their doom.

Both in the field and in a laboratory setting, scientists have found that webs with more thick white silk band designs in the center hub are more attractive to some prey. The bands serve as decorations that reflect ultraviolet rays which insects are attracted to, according to Mariella Herberstein, a behavioral ecologist at Macquarie University.

The webs themselves are attractive to prey even in the dark, research shows. When testing the webs of Psechrus clavis spiders at night, researchers found that darkening the silk strands made them less attractive to insects flying by. In dark environments, more intricate webs showed they could capture what little light was available, the study shows.

There’s variation in this technique, though, and data suggests decisions about web decorations are strategic. “Some spiders build decorations, and then if they have to build a new web, they might not decorate it again [or] they might decorate it more or less,” says Tom Ratz, a behavioral ecologist at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich. For instance, when there were cues of are a lot of predatorsy birds in the environment, spiders were shown to tone down their decorspiders were shown to tone down their decor, indicating web design was not random.

Using color and patterns to mimic and dazzle

 Although many spiders sport dull shades, several species come clad in bright colors and eclectic patterns that help get their prey to come to them.

Jeweled spiders (genus Gasteracantha) get their moniker because they are bedazzled with colors including white, orange, yellow, red, and pink. “They look like little lollies,” says Thomas White, an entomologist at The University of Sydney. “But it’s a deceptive signal.”

Students stand over spider.

Students in Costa Rica observe a golden orb-weaver spider (Nephila pilipes). Studies suggest this species’ colors helps them attract prey when they hunt at night.

Photograph By CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES, Nat Geo Image Collection

When these gaudy spiders sit at the center of their woven web, insects passing by are enticed to go have a closer look. White’s work focuses on trying to pinpoint whether the insects are attracted to these vibrant-colored spiders because they’re simply attractive or because they resemble the specific flowers prey would go to for nectar. “It’s a tricky thing to untangle,” says White, and it might be a little bit of both.

Studies suggest being colorful helps the nocturnal golden orb-weaver spiders (Nephila pilipes) and spotted orb-web spider (Neoscona punctigera) catch food too. The brown huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria), also uses color to deceive its prey: it has a shiny white stripe on its head to lure moths in the dark.

The crab spider species Epicadus heterogaster has evolved to look much like a dainty white flower resting on a leaf, and research suggests its abdomen glitters by reflecting the sun. This glimmer is imperceptible to the human eye, but catches the peepers of bees and flies.

A brown coiled leaf with a small spider standing near the end a larger spider approaching.

A female Euryattus jumping spider (right) is lured from her nest by another jumping spider (Portia fimbriata, left) mimicking the mating behavior of a Euryattus male spider in Queensland, Australia.

Photograph By Mark Moffett, Minden Pictures

Another species of crab spider, Phrynarachne, has evolved to look like bird droppings instead. While experts have long thought this was a trick to mainly evade predators, researchers have recently discovered it also effectively lures unsuspecting flies looking to lay their eggs in the poop or use it as a source of food.

Smelling… sexy 

Some spiders have evolved to rely less on a potential prey’s eyesight and more on their sense of smell.

Bolas spiders (genus Mastophora) love to munch on moths, but moths’ scaly outer layer of the wingskeeps them from sticking to spiderwebs. So adult female bolas have specialized in luring male moths by producing the pheromones made by female moths looking to mate. Once the moth gets closer to look for their potential partner, Bolas spiders reel them in with a sticky clump of specialized silk.

Different bolas spiders attract different types of moths, and some can attract several different types at once. For instance, Mastophora cornigera can lure in at least 19 different moth species in one single night.

“The question is whether they are producing a master brew of lots of different pheromones, or if they are fine-tuning their signal over the course of the day, or the season,” says Kenneth Haynes, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky. The species he’s studied the most, Mastophora hutchinsoni, produces one type of pheromone early in the night for one moth species, and another completely different pheromone later in the night for another moth species.

Other spider species rely on scent signals to amp up their appeal too. Research suggests the St. Andrew’s cross spider (Argiope keyserlingi) sprinkles its silky web with a rotting scent called putrescine to boost the number of flies it captures.

A spider has captured its prey on a leaf that has bits of white making it appear as bird droppings.

This spider (Phrynarachne decipiens) mimics bird droppings to draw in prey in Malaysia.

Photograph By Chien Lee, Minden Pictures

Acting like their prey’s prey or mate

Jumping spiders from the genera Portia, Cyrba, Gelotia, and Brettus like to eat other spider species. But they don’t lure their spider kin onto their own web; they pretend to be stuck in their prey’s web instead. They use their eight legs and two front pedipalps to meticulously pluck the strands to a rhythm that mimics the vibrations a tangled helpless critter would make, luring their spider prey out of its sheltered web center.

“They have an unlimited array of signals that they can make” by plucking their prey’s web, says Fiona Cross, an arachnologist at the University of Canterbury. If Portia spiders are striking a new type of spider, or if the prey isn’t responding, Portia can creatively adjust the signal in real time until it gets the right rhythmcreatively adjust the signal in real time until it gets the right rhythm, according to Cross.

Portia fimbriata also use vibrations to pretend they’re a spider’s potential mate. When they find a nest of a female Euryattus spider—which consists of a rolled-up leaf suspended by a silk thread—they shake the greenery with the vibration signals used by male Euryattus in courting rituals. Portia can imitate this ritual without seeing it before, “even on its first attempt. It’s incredible,” says Cross.

Given how cognitively complex these feats are for a critter with a brain the size of a pinhead, the intricacies experts have uncovered about spider behavior are likely just a small slice of all the impressive arachnid trickeries out there.

“It’s really hard to actually demonstrate that spiders are using lures,” says Montiglio. “So I guess it’s a good hypothesis to have that the more we study spiders, the more we’ll find spiders are using lures.”

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/spiders-prey-webs-trap-camouflage-mimicry

Tags: scienceSpidersThese
Previous Post

Do you really need 10,000 steps a day? Here’s what the science says.

Next Post

Illuminating nature’s spectrum

Cash Flows: Industry, Ecology, and the Future of the Great Lakes Blue Economy – Michigan Public

Cash Flows: Industry, Ecology, and the Future of the Great Lakes Blue Economy – Michigan Public

May 9, 2025
Under Trump, job prospects look ‘bleak’ for Mass. grads in environmental science – WBUR

Massachusetts Environmental Science Graduates Face Gloomy Job Prospects Under Trump Administration

May 9, 2025
A Leaked Memo Reveals Details About Trump’s War on Science at the NIH – Mother Jones

Inside the Leaked Memo: Uncovering Trump’s Battle Against Science at the NIH

May 9, 2025
Hyatt Lifestyle Group opens inaugural property in Florida – Hotel Dive

Hyatt Lifestyle Group Unveils Its First Florida Gem!

May 9, 2025
2025 IIHF World Championships Begin for Danault, Chromiak, Slukynsky – LA Kings Insider

Exciting Kickoff: Danault, Chromiak, and Slukynsky Take Center Stage at the 2025 IIHF World Championships!

May 9, 2025
US Farm Economy Is Starting to See First Hits From Trump Tariffs – Bloomberg.com

US Farm Economy Faces Initial Impact from Trump Tariffs

May 9, 2025
Georgia Entertainment CEO says large-scale production is slowing down – Decaturish

Georgia Entertainment CEO Warns of Slowdown in Large-Scale Productions

May 9, 2025
Georgia first responders unite for mental health conference to combat trauma – FOX 5 Atlanta

Georgia First Responders Join Forces for Groundbreaking Mental Health Conference to Tackle Trauma

May 9, 2025
Upcoming changes at CIA shine a spotlight on the spy agency’s director John Ratcliffe – CNN

Transformative Shifts at the CIA: Spotlight on Director John Ratcliffe

May 9, 2025
Technology Innovation to Take Center Stage at The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show – Restaurant Technology News

Get Ready for a Tech Revolution: The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show Unveils Cutting-Edge Innovations!

May 9, 2025

Categories

Archives

May 2025
MTWTFSS
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031 
« Apr    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (595)
  • Economy (606)
  • Entertainment (21,519)
  • General (15,210)
  • Health (9,648)
  • Lifestyle (611)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (609)
  • Politics (613)
  • Science (15,828)
  • Sports (21,116)
  • Technology (15,596)
  • World (596)

Recent News

Cash Flows: Industry, Ecology, and the Future of the Great Lakes Blue Economy – Michigan Public

Cash Flows: Industry, Ecology, and the Future of the Great Lakes Blue Economy – Michigan Public

May 9, 2025
Under Trump, job prospects look ‘bleak’ for Mass. grads in environmental science – WBUR

Massachusetts Environmental Science Graduates Face Gloomy Job Prospects Under Trump Administration

May 9, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version