Spiders are often treated as simple ambush predators, reacting only to what touches a web or wanders too close. Research over the past two decades has complicated that picture. Some spiders plan ...

Ecologists have observed a species of nocturnal spider attracting prey to its web using the bioluminescent beacons of already trapped fireflies. This rare example of a predator exploiting its prey’s ...

So I'm thinking we've all seen a spider spinning a web at some point - probably a web that functions as a kind of barrier to ensnare unsuspecting insects. Turns out another kind of spider uses its web ...

A tethered mosquito approaches the web in the path of release of the cone, and triggers web release response. Credit: S.I. Han and T.A. Blackledge, 2024. Ray spiders deploy an unusual strategy to ...

From pretending to be their prey’s prey (or their mate), to attracting prey with dazzling patterns, these tricky spiders don’t rely on their webs alone. Some jumping spiders (from the family ...