A good predator must be as cunning as it is strong, especially when its prey can turn the tables and kill it. The assassin bug has learned this well, becoming a master of deception in its hunt for spiders. Last year biologist Anne Wignall from Australia’s Macquarie University discovered that the bug lures food by strumming webs with its legs, mimicking the vibrations of a trapped fly. Now she has found that the insects exploit the weather by stalking spiders in the wind.
Spiders have poor eyesight and so recognize intruders by sensing vibrations on their webs. But even a gentle breeze neutralizes that ability, a weakness that assassin bugs are wired to exploit. When Wignall turned on desk fans aimed at webs, she saw that the assassins took more steps toward their prey. They also masked their steps by flexing their legs and bouncing, mimicking the sensation of wind-swept ...
