Story perspectives
Spiders Use Lifesize Silk Decoys to Outsmart Predators
11/15/2025
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Story summary
- A study in Ecology and Evolution finds two Cyclosa spider species from Peru and the Philippines use lifelike decoys to deter predators.
- The decoys, made of silk, plant debris, and insect carcasses, can reach 3.3 times the size of the real spider.
- The Philippine species hides inside its decoy, while the Peruvian species perches above it to direct predators away.
