Scientists have discovered a new spider species in Australia's northeastern rainforests. It catches ants using a self-made "catapult" trap.
The species has been unofficially named the "ballista spider" after the ancient Roman weapon. It builds a complex trap using stretched silk threads and flings its prey into the air.
This spider only hunts green tree ants, known for their aggressiveness. It is thought to release special pheromones to lure them.
Researchers from Macquarie University observed the spider for ten days, using high-speed and infrared cameras to record the unique hunting mechanism. The spider spends hours constructing a cone-shaped structure attached to leaves, branches, or the forest floor. When an ant triggers the trap, it catapults the victim over 30 centimeters into the main web.
This is the first known web designed for a single prey type and triggered by the victim's touch, not the predator.
The new species has yet to receive an official scientific name but is believed to belong to the genus Propostira, found in Australia and Southeast Asia.
