These spiders listen for prey before hurling webs like slingshots

Along came a spider

A) Untensed web shown from front view. (B) Tensed web shown from side view. Credit: S.I. Han and T.A. Blackledge, 2024

The 19 spiders built 26 webs over the testing period. For the experiments, Han and Blackledge used a weighted tuning fork with frequencies in the mid-range for whirring wings for many mosquito species in North America as a control stimulus. They also attached actual mosquitos to thin strips of black construction paper by dabbing a bit of superglue on their abdomens or hind legs. This ensured the mosquitos could still beat their

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