Toss a piece of leaf onto a spiderweb. The spider is indifferent. Because leaves don't squirm like captured flies. But Australia's "assassin bug" _1_ spiders. It exploits their keen sense for vibrations by _2_—luring unwitting spiders into _3_.Researchers observed how spiders reacted to various visitors to their webs—like leaf fragments, courting males, prey like flies, and the assassin bugs. The spiders ignored leaves, and _4_. But they approached assassin bugs just as if they were investigating a juicy fly.Then the researchers analyzed the frequency, duration and amplitude of each visitor's vibrations. And they found that assassin bug's vibes most closely matched some of those of prey. When prey struggle violently, spiders _5_—a potentially dangerous situation for assassin bugs. The research is in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society assassin bug’s choice of vibrations maximizes the chances that the spider, while still behaving like the hunter, becomes the hunted.
【视听版科学小组荣誉出品】
turns the tables on mimicking the movements of prey striking range assumed mating position for males rush to subdue them
向蜘蛛网扔片树叶，蜘蛛老大肯定无动于衷，那只是片树叶，又不会像自投罗网的苍蝇那样扭来就去。不过，当蜘蛛遇上澳大利亚食虫椿象，那情形就反转了。蜘蛛对震动反应敏锐，食虫椿象正是利用这一点，模仿蜘蛛猎物扭动挣扎，继而把蜘蛛引诱到自己的攻击范围之内。 研究人员观察了当树叶、求偶对象、苍蝇之类的猎物以及食虫椿象等各种不同生物落到蜘蛛网上时蜘蛛的反应。树叶之类直接无视掉~至于爱慕者光临嘛，当然是好好享受两人世界啦~但蜘蛛会把食虫椿象当成美味可口的苍蝇一般的猎物，迫不及待对其下手。 研究人员经分析各造访生物震动的频率、持续时间以及振幅发现，食虫椿象与蜘蛛的某些猎物的震动特点最为相似。要是猎物拼命挣扎，蜘蛛会在第一时间把他们解决掉——对食虫椿象来说这也是个潜在危险。这项研究刊登在《皇家学会学报B》上。 食虫椿象选择的振动方式将蜘蛛变成猎物的几率最大化，可怜那蜘蛛还蒙在鼓里呢╮(╯▽╰)╭