Clever spider

Researchers in the Amazon have found a spider which builds a web that looks like a bigger spider. The scientists have yet to establish if it is a new species or a new behaviour of an already discovered spider.

<bold>Reporter</bold>

Karen Zarindast

Report

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With the help of small pieces of leaf, dead insects and other debris, a spider in the Amazon rainforest has created a detailed replica of a spider larger than itself.

The crafty spider is thought to be a new member of the genus Cyclosa, a family of spiders which has created decoys before using spare egg sacs. But this new spider's sculpture is the first to have leg-like appendages.

Phil Torres, a biologist from the Rainforest Expeditions, thinks they might have discovered a completely new species:

<italic>When you first see it, it just looks like a spider hanging in a web. It's about an inch and an half long.</italic>

<italic>As you approach, it kind of looks like a dead spider as well but as you approach it starts to move back and forth. There's a little spider hanging on the back of it so you'll see little pieces of leaf, little pieces of twig. There's even a dead insect in there.</italic>

<italic>There must be very <bold>heavy predatory influence</bold> that it would evolve to have such <bold>an intriguing defence</bold>.</italic>

Mr Torres will be returning to the Amazon rainforest in January next year to investigate further as this masterful spider is yet to be recognised as a new species.

Mr Torres' discovery will be registered, verified and his findings published if this spider proves to be biologically different from the known species of Cyclosa.

Vocabulary

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<bold>debris: </bold>puing-puing

<bold>replica:</bold> tiruan

<bold>crafty:</bold> pintar

<bold>genus:</bold> jenis, golongan

<bold>decoys: </bold>dibuat menyerupai sesuatu sebagai tipuan untuk jebakan atau perlindungan

<bold>leg-like appendages: </bold>bagian yang menyerupai kaki

<bold>heavy predatory influence: </bold>pengaruh yang kuat sebagai akibat dari ancaman predator

<bold>an intriguing defence: </bold>sistim pertahanan diri yang menakjubkan

<bold>masterful:</bold> sangat hebat/berbakat

<bold>findings:</bold> hasil penemuan