Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > Nature & Environment > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Nature & Environment

Spider builds its own fake decoys

By T.K. Randall
December 19, 2012 · Comment icon 26 comments

Image Credit: Wikipedia
A fascinating species of spider in the Amazon rainforest is able to construct and animate its own decoys.
Spiders are well known for creating intricate and often beautiful webs with which to catch insects but one spider in the Peruvian Amazon has taken this one step further. Using leaves, debris and dead insects, the remarkable species builds fake decoy spiders and then makes them move by sitting on top and shaking the web. It is the first time such behavior has been observed in spiders.

"Considering that spiders can already make really impressive geometric designs with their webs, it's no surprise that they can take that leap to make an impressive design with debris and other things," said biologist Phil Torres.
A spider that builds elaborate, fake spiders and hangs them in its web has been discovered in the Peruvian Amazon.


Source: Wired | Comments (26)




Other news and articles
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #17 Posted by Ambush Bug 11 years ago
WOW!
Comment icon #18 Posted by Jinxdom 11 years ago
Maybe they were building idols to appease the spider gods for the upcoming apoc? Gotta love nature though you can always find something new and amazing from it.
Comment icon #19 Posted by JGirl 11 years ago
i prefer being in nature over just about any other type of stress reliever
Comment icon #20 Posted by Oniomancer 11 years ago
Maybe it's a spider Realdoll?
Comment icon #21 Posted by Emin 11 years ago
Sneaky sneaky critterz, never trusted em, never will. lol
Comment icon #22 Posted by thewild 11 years ago
That is really interesting. The article states there are other spider "sculptors" in the family of Cyclosa. ​I wonder what kinds of scuptures the whole species exhibits. Get it? Sculptor? Exhibits? A spider "art walk" *chuckle*
Comment icon #23 Posted by The Unseen 11 years ago
that is really great.Mother nature never stops giving her creatures the means for servive,
Comment icon #24 Posted by The Unseen 11 years ago
maybe its tired of things running into its web. i know i wouldnt walk thru a web with a huge looking spider on it. I think it is more like if a spider eating wasp were to see it .it would attack the decoy while the spider itself would be able to get away from said predator.At least thats what I think.Just my opinion.
Comment icon #25 Posted by ad hoc 11 years ago
To me doesnt look like decoy. It looks like that small spider wanted to show himself bigger so that his height scare away predators. Why? if it's realistic enough to scare off a predator its realistic enough to be a decoy, no? It probably ticks both of those boxes anyways IMO. But how come that same doesnt scared prey? That's a good question. I'll bet there's an extra layer of complex behaviour involved just around not scaring off lunch.
Comment icon #26 Posted by the L 11 years ago
That's a good question. I'll bet there's an extra layer of complex behaviour involved just around not scaring off lunch. Such as?


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Recent news and articles