Researchers have described a newly discovered nocturnal spider from Queensland's tropical rainforests in Australia that uses a spring-loaded silk snare to catch green tree ants, Oecophylla smaragdina. The spider belongs to the genus Propostira, has not yet been formally named, and has been nicknamed the ballista spider after an ancient Roman projectile weapon. The spider shelters under leaves during the day. At night, it builds a small conical trap from silk tension lines near the ground. Whe...

Read the original article