spiders

Scientists tested spiders as living DNA traps; their stomach contents can reveal which insects and other animals are living around them

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Scientists tested spiders as living DNA traps; their stomach contents can reveal which insects and other animals are living around them

Wolf spider on white background. Image Credit: Philip N. Cohen/Wikipedia A study published in ‘Experimental and Applied Entomology’ has explored how spiders could tell what animals are living around them by examining traces of prey DNA left inside their bodies. The research tested how ‘reliable prey DNA’ could be found in wolf spiders after feeding … Read more

Male redback spiders somersault directly towards a female’s fangs during mating; scientists found the bizarre behaviour may come from surprisingly simple genetics

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Male redback spiders somersault directly towards a female’s fangs during mating; scientists found the bizarre behaviour may come from surprisingly simple genetics

Breeding scheme to produce backcross males and (b) possible inheritance patterns of self-sacrificial mating traits. Credit: Biology Letters (2026) Male Australian redback spiders perform an acrobatic somersault during mating that sends their abdomen directly toward the female’s fangs. Scientists have now found that this deadly self-sacrifice behavior comes from a surprisingly simple genetic region.In a … Read more