A newly identified spider in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia, constructs a conical snare that launches green tree ants upward into its web. The trap generates forces equivalent to 130 times gravity. Researchers documented the mechanism through high-speed filming in early 2023.
The spider, which belongs to the genus Propostira but lacks a formal scientific name, is active at night. It spends up to four hours after dusk constructing the device from 15 to 60 tension lines attached to a leaf. A chemical applied to the structure attracts only green tree ants, which become stuck by their mandibles.
When an ant struggles to free itself, the anchor releases and the lines propel the insect nearly 30 centimetres into the air. Accelerations reach 1367 metres per second squared. The method lifts prey away from ant trails and reduces the risk of retaliation by the colony.
Greg Anderson first observed the catapulting action in 2022. Ajay Narendra and Pranav Joshi later recorded it at 5000 to 7000 frames per second. The spiders are nicknamed ballista spiders after the ancient Roman weapon.