Video: Discovery of the Spider That Builds Spider Decoys

[Cthonig]

Cool and weird. A spider that has built a spider shape in it's web that is larger than itself. While not as good as a human could do it (obviously), it is quite an amazing accomplishment.

I love this sort of thing - the amazing and varied stuff we can find in nature.

Since I'm not approved yet, I'm not going to try to embed the video. Here is the link to Wired magazine online's video.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/video-spider-building-spider/

[Cthonig]

Update: embedded the video
Video: Discovery of the Spider That Builds Spider Decoys






I noticed the embedded video has vanished and I'm not sure how to restore it – sorry.

[ZephySempai]

Now that was pretty freaking cool.

[Aruetii]

This is an amazing and terrifying discovery, soon our spider overlords shall be making decoys of us.

[Cthonig]

This is an amazing and terrifying discovery, soon our spider overlords shall be making decoys of us.

But there is no way that would work unless there was some sort of widespread web where most of the images are recycled or artificially drawn - maybe something computer driven. But pressing keys would be very difficult for spiders - they'd need something very sensitive to contact, something that mere touch could control. Plus, until the world would need to be overpopulated with humans providing an overabundance of food for predators. But until such things become reality there is nothing to worry about from your new spider overlords.   :-)

[AutumRose]

lifts the quill and dips to the ink pot  then  scribes carefully

Dear  Cthonig,

Thank you for bringing this amazing  discovery to the forum, And to my attention.  As a Woman who for various reasons " rp`d " a  very large spider in her dim and distant past, I had to research the topic of spiders  for a week prior to the scene   I played out in a chat room. I became very interested in spiders, and  as such would and  do still wish to  rp a spider on occasion..  But this spider has really caught my interest.  I wonder  has it been named yet?  On  the fictional side  the  spider i played  was based on a  bird eating spider. Though it was over sized, at  ten feet  leg span,  The  details that went in to the   three month scenes and roleplay that occurred  was  very fine and  within reason, it was pretty accurate.  Since then I`ve kind of kept up  the research  finding the subject fascinating..  Does that make me  a nerd or geek? Once again  Thank you for the links.

With respect 

Autumn Rose..

[SK0M]

That was freakin' awesome.  Things in the amazon...I swear are fascinating but the level of intelligence there they find every day is scaring me a bit :O.  But still cool.

[Wicked Vixen]

this is freaking awesome!!!!!!!! i am amazed!!! :o

[Cthonig]

    I'm glad there are a few who do enjoy this. During the first two months I had it up, I considered deleting it but now I'm glad I didn't.

[Nymphieki]

That is amazing... I wish there were more spiders in the world like that.

I like in Kansas, plenty of spiders here. I moved recently, however, into a house that is under three very old, very tall trees. And during this last summer...I encountered....THEM.

HUGE spiders, that love in the trees surrounding my house. They are black and yellow, and occasionally had some other colors on them as well... I'm not sure. I don't get close. Each night, they drop down from the trees and make massive webs...out in the open....everywhere. By morning, the webs are usually ruined and the spider is safe back up in the tree...but if you walk through my yard at night....chances are you're going to get a giant spider on your face. This has happened to me far too many times.

If only they were all...fake big spiders! The tiny ones I can handle.

[Cthonig]

    If the webs they spin are the traditional spoke and spiral that people usually draw then definitely orb weaver. Most orb weaver spiders have a large abdomen and a smaller cephalothorax (the middle part of their body). Cephalothorax means 'head-chest' since, unlike insects (they have the three parts separate), the head and chest are one body part.
    I considered adding a pic of a yellow and black orb weaver but just in the top part of the page of a Google search for "orb weaver spider" I counted at least 8 different designs then some started repeating so I didn't even finish scrolling down.