Australian Spider Employs Catapult Web to Snare Ants
WHO:
The Conversation - Researchers Ajay Narendra, Pranav Joshi, Daniele Liprandi, Gregory J Anderson, and Jonas Wolff are involved in the discovery of the ballista spider.
WHAT:
The Conversation - The ballista spider is described as a small nocturnal animal of the genus Propostira.
The Conversation - The spider's snare is triggered only by the aggressive green tree ant (Oecophylla smaragdina).
The Conversation - The spider's web construction involves laying a "tension line" and forming a small conical scaffold wrapped in thinner silk.
The Conversation - The ant is pulled into the core web at accelerations of up to 1,367 metres per second squared, which is approximately 15 times the most extreme g-forces experienced by jet pilots.
The Conversation - The ballista spider's snare exhibits superior energy performance compared to other silk-based catapult systems, storing 78.17 kilojoules of kinetic energy per kilogram of web and exerting 11.73 megawatts of power.
Phys.org - The ballista spider is described as using a spring-actuated snare to catch a single species of ant, which researchers refer to as "the ultimate specialization."
BBC News - The hunting method of the ballista spider, which allows it to prey on dangerous ants, is characterized as unprecedented.
The Conversation - The ballista spider constructs a unique spring-loaded snare to catch the green tree ant (Oecophylla smaragdina).
Phys.org - The spider is described as having "the ultimate specialization" in its hunting strategy.
WHERE:
The Conversation - The spider is found in the tropical rainforests of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia.
WHY:
The Conversation - The high power of the ballista spider’s snare has likely evolved to quickly remove ants from their nests and trails to avoid defense from other ants.
The Conversation - The spider's extreme specialization to a single prey species suggests it may add specific pheromones to attract green tree ants.
HOW:
The Conversation - The ballista spider's snare is triggered by the prey itself, which is a unique mechanism compared to other predators that sense their prey to activate their snares.
The Conversation - The spider builds a fan-shaped web of silk tension lines and a conical scaffold to trap ants.
The Conversation - The thinner silk used in the snare seems to attract ants and provoke an attack response, possibly through pheromones.
The Conversation - The ant is pulled into the core web at accelerations of up to 1,367 metres per second squared, which is approximately 140 times the acceleration due to gravity.
The Conversation - The ballista spider's snare exhibits superior energy performance, storing 78.17 kilojoules of kinetic energy per kilogram of web and exerting 11.73 megawatts of power.
(UPDATED June 24, 2026 01:36 UTC)
Scientists have recently described the ballista spider, a small nocturnal creature from the genus Propostira, known for its unique hunting technique. This spider's web features a "tension line" and a conical scaffold made of fine silk, which is triggered specifically by the aggressive green tree ant, pulling the ant into its core web at astonishing accelerations of up to 1,367 metres per second squared. Remarkably, the ballista spider's snare demonstrates superior energy performance, storing 78.17 kilojoules of kinetic energy per kilogram of web and exerting an impressive 11.73 megawatts of power.
--
(UPDATED June 23, 2026 13:53 UTC)
Researchers have unveiled the ballista spider, known for its remarkable hunting technique that allows it to prey on dangerous ants, a method described as unprecedented. This spider employs a spring-actuated snare that is uniquely triggered by the ant itself, setting it apart from other predators that typically sense their prey to activate their traps. This specialization has led scientists to refer to the ballista spider's approach as "the ultimate specialization."
--
(UPDATED June 23, 2026 04:24 UTC)
Researchers, including Ajay Narendra and Pranav Joshi, have discovered a remarkable new species called the ballista spider, which is found in the tropical rainforests of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. This spider has developed an extraordinary hunting strategy, constructing a spring-loaded snare that can capture green tree ants with incredible speed, pulling them into its web at accelerations of up to 1,367 metres per second squared. The ballista spider's unique approach not only showcases its specialization for this specific prey but also highlights its ability to store significant kinetic energy, exerting over 11 megawatts of power to swiftly eliminate ants from their nests and trails.