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Spider Discovered That Builds Its Own Spider Decoys

Posted by Soulskill on from the welp-it's-been-a-good-run dept.

OakDragon writes "A newly discovered species of spider — apparently of the genus Cyclosa — has been discovered in the Peruvian Amazon. The spider builds an elaborate decoy out of web, twigs, and other scraps, which appears to be a much larger spider. The spider will even cause the decoy to move, marionette-style, by shaking the web."

1 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. I am arachnaphobic. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    FTFA: Specimens will have to be collected to compare to known species, dissections done on identifying features like the genitalia, and descriptions will have to be written to show why this species is different from others, a type specimen will have to be selected, and the eventual publication of all of that information in a journal. Only then can it be considered a named new species to science.

    I am arachnophobic so somebody else will have to do this.