What's scarier than a spider? A fake giant spider

"What's scarier than a spider? A really big spider, of course. A newfound defensive tactic takes advantage of this idea: researchers documented spiders building giant spiderlike silhouettes on their webs to ward off predators. These decoys are an example of web decorations that some spiders are known to produce, often to prevent getting eaten, avoid bird strikes or attract prey."

"The spider doppelgangers are made of prey carcasses, plant debris, and other organic materials. They have a central structure from which legs branch out. The team proposes that the constructions serve primarily as a defense from predators such as hummingbirds or helicopter damselflies. But different species might use them in different ways."

"In Peru, the spiders seem to use the decoys as puppets, says study co-author Phillip Torres, an entomologist and television host. They will be on the top of the figure, and they shake the web, so they are pretending to be a bigger spider. Small predators might be scared by a larger spider, and predators that specialize in eating the real, smaller arachnid might want to avoid a supersized one."

Between 2012 and 2022 observations in Peru, the Philippines, and Madagascar documented about 300 Cyclosa spiders constructing giant spider-shaped web decorations. The decoys are assembled from prey carcasses, plant debris, and other organic materials and feature a central body with radiating leg-like branches. The constructions appear primarily defensive, deterring predators such as hummingbirds and helicopter damselflies. Behavioral variation occurs among populations: some Cyclosa individuals position themselves atop the figure and shake the web to simulate a larger spider, while others hide inside the structure until predators depart. Different species may employ the decorations for differing functions.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com