For residents of the southeastern United States, fall signals the return of Joro spiders—huge, bright yellow arachnids from Asia—haunting porches, gardens, and just about anywhere big enough for casting enormous webs. Joros don’t typically pose serious threats to humans. But their autumnal abundance does appear to be the source of significant irritation for local residents—something […]
Spiders Hijack Fireflies to Create Devious Glowing Death Traps
Fireflies glow to attract mates. As new research shows, however, a certain species of spider has learned to take advantage of this luminous natural phenomenon. In a Journal of Animal Ecology paper published August 27, ecologists report that the sheetweb spider (Psechrus clavis) appears to exploit firefly luminescence to attract more prey. Observational analysis and […]