Scientists solve the mystery of how spider gangs plan attacks
It is amazing to see spiders attack their prey in packs but it has always intrigued scientists as to how the coordinated offensive takes place. This is precisely what a team of researchers decided to study, says a report in sciencealert.com.
Among 50,000 known species of spiders there are 20 which, contrary to their usual solitary life, live together in colonies. One of them is Anelosimus eximius, a social spider which lives in a large group of more than 1,000 individuals, who spin webs that span many metres.
When a victim is trapped, these creatures harmonise their attack together enabling them to tackle prey much larger than them individually.
Also read: Beware of the snake’s hiss, the reptile means business
Till now it was a puzzle as to how such coordinated effort takes place but new research reveals that using vibrations in the giant-sized webs is what helps these creatures to synchronise their attack on the prey.
Senior author of this new study, Raphael Jeanson who is researcher at the Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA) at the University of Toulouse, France, highlights an important aspect about this coordinated offence. “What is fantastic is that there is no leadership role among these spiders.” In fact, the colony’s attack in unison is based on each and every individual receiving the same information.
Comments
Post a Comment