Newly discovered spider builds spring loaded snare to catch ants

Re:Newly discovered spider builds spring loaded snare to cat... by enjrolas on Wednesday July 01, 2026 @11:17AM (#48748284)

that's a good question -- the paper describes it triggering aggression in the ant within milliseconds of it probing the snare with its antenna. I don't know the basis for it, but that's some down-to-the-metal ant programming right there

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Re:Newly discovered spider builds spring loaded snare to cat... by mc_maurer on Wednesday July 01, 2026 @03:05PM (#48751682)

You should read up on manipulative parasites too! Things like wasp larvae developing inside an insect and changing its behavior through chemical manipulation of neural pathways. Some really remarkable specialization!

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Re:Newly discovered spider builds spring loaded snare to cat... by abrookewood on Wednesday July 01, 2026 @10:38PM (#48755775)

Yep, I love that stuff .. just crazy to think how it all came about.

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