Scientists Shave Spider’s Moustaches To See If They Help Lure Prey

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

Heteropoda venatoria with egg sac / Fritz Geller-Grimm via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0

The brown huntsman spider, Heteropoda venatoria, has a striking white stripe on its face reminiscent of a moustache. And now, researchers who’ve shaved those spider moustaches off have discovered that the vibrant bristles help lure flying insects to their death in the dark. The findings were published in the April issue of Animal Behaviour.