The tiny ray spider uses its web to grab its prey out of the air. Though common practice with comic book characters, this ability is unusual in spiders. So I'm thinking we've all seen a spider ...

My partner held a photography workshop at our house a couple of weeks ago. This involved 27 people stalking our native wildflower and vegetable gardens in search of prey for their cameras. One of the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more. This ...

A nocturnal spider in the East Asian subtropical forests has created an unusual hunting strategy. This cunning predator is a nocturnal sheet web spider, Psechrus clavis, which captures fireflies as ...

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 ...

Just like some people, there are arachnids out there that prefer to pick up their takeout meals, including the aptly named slingshot spider (Theridiosoma gemmosum). Scientists have just figured out ...

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 ...

It’s well understood that spiders have poor eyesight and thus sense the vibrations in their webs whenever prey (like a fly) gets caught; the web serves as an extension of their sensory system. But ...

Spiders are intriguing creepy crawlies, and now, scientists have discovered that some spiders lure prey in using a terrifyingly smart tactic that may give you nightmares. The researchers made this ...

Rosie is a freelance writer living in London. She has covered everything from ancient Egyptian temples to exciting medical breakthroughs, but she particularly enjoys writing about wildlife, ...

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 ...