New spider that hunts dangerous ants using a spring-loaded trap discovered by scientists in Australia (opens original article in a new tab)

Scientists discovered a new spider species in Australia that uses a spring-loaded silk trap to catch green tree ants, with a specialized mechanism that triggers when the ant interacts with the web.

• New spider species discovered in Australia with spring-loaded trap to catch green tree ants
• Spider builds 15-60 vertical silk tension lines in cone shape to launch prey at high speed
• Researchers observed spider uses pheromone to lure ants and trigger snare mechanism
• Spider specializes in hunting one ant species, avoiding dangerous confrontations