Spider Makes Spider Puppet

[Malthus]

Okay, it's been a while since I've posted some wierd creepy-crawly news, and I know you all have been missing it so much ...  But you gotta admit, this is freaky.

http://blog.perunature.com/2012/12/new-species-of-decoy-spider-likely.html

Exec Sum: A tiny spider that makes a larger "decoy spider" puppet out of leaf litter and then jiggles it with silk threads to deter predators.

From afar, it appears to be a medium sized spider about an inch across, possibly dead and dried out, hanging in the center of a spider web along the side of the trail. Nothing too out of the ordinary for the Amazon. As you approach, the spider starts to wobble quickly forward and back, letting you know this spider is, in fact, alive.


Step in even closer and things start to get weird- that spider form you were looking at is actually made up of tiny bits of leaf, debris, and dead insects. The confusion sets in. How can something be constructed to look like a spider, how is it moving, and what kind of creature made this!?


It turns out the master designer behind this somewhat creepy form is in fact a tiny spider, only about 5mm in body length, that is hiding behind or above that false, bigger spider made up of debris. After discussing with several spider experts, we've determined it is quite probable that this spider is a never-before-seen species in the genus Cyclosa. This genus is known for having spiders that put debris in their webs to either attract prey or, as in this case, confuse anything trying to eat them.

Edit: I am inspired to make a larger, more frightening lawyer puppet, and jiggle it outside my office. Maybe one that looks like CC. 

[CountDeMoney]

Edit: I am inspired to make a larger, more frightening lawyer puppet, and jiggle it outside my office.

Just park an ambulance.

[Malthus]

Edit: I am inspired to make a larger, more frightening lawyer puppet, and jiggle it outside my office.

Just park an ambulance.

CC doesn't practice that type of law. 

[Phillip V]

Cool. Reminds me of armies deploying decoy figures of soldiers and cannon to trick their opponents. Or even scarecrows.

[Admiral Yi]

That's pretty intense.

Anyone considered the possibility of a hoax?

[Malthus]

That's pretty intense.

Anyone considered the possibility of a hoax?

Certainly possible. Not sure how one could tell.

[The Brain]

That's pretty intense.

Anyone considered the possibility of a hoax?

Spiders are fairly trustworthy in my experience.

[Josquius]

Strange. You'd think that catching prey and staying hidden would be more of a concern than scaring off predators.

[Phillip V]