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Spiders Use Giant Decoys to Outsmart Predators

11/13/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers documented two orb-weaving spiders, Cyclosa inca and Cyclosa longicauda, in the Philippines and Peru, using elaborate silk-and-debris decoys to deter predators.
The decoys can reach up to ten times the spiders' size and resemble dangerous spiders or objects like bird droppings.
The spiders shake their webs to animate the decoys and build them at night to avoid predators.
Further studies are planned to evaluate the decoys' effectiveness.

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Story summary

Researchers documented two orb-weaving spiders, Cyclosa inca and Cyclosa longicauda, in the Philippines and Peru, using elaborate silk-and-debris decoys to deter predators.
The decoys can reach up to ten times the spiders' size and resemble dangerous spiders or objects like bird droppings.
The spiders shake their webs to animate the decoys and build them at night to avoid predators.
Further studies are planned to evaluate the decoys' effectiveness.