A DECOY to cheat their predators

Stories

New species of Decoy Spider likely discovered at Tambopata Research Center

From afar, it appears to be a medium-sized spider about an inch across, possibly dead and dried out, hanging in the center of the spider web along the side of the trail. Nothing too out of the ordinary for Amazon. As you approach, the spider starts to wobble quickly forward and back, letting you know this spider is, in fact, alive.

 

I’ll tell you all about this amazing spider below. If you’d like to discover — literally — even more jungle species,  join in our Discover New Species project!

decoy_spider

The ‘decoys’ were built with a variety of forms and numbers of legs. 

Step in even closer and things start to get weird- that spider form you were looking at is actually made up of tiny bits of leaf, debris, and dead insects. The confusion sets in. How can something be constructed to look like a spider, how is it moving, and what kind of creature made this!?

It turns out the master designer behind this somewhat creepy form is in fact a tiny spider, only about 5mm in body length, that is hiding behind or above that false, bigger spider made up of debris. After discussing with several spider experts, we’ve determined it is quite probable that this spider is a  never-before-seen species in the genus Cyclosa.

This genus is known for having spiders that put debris in their webs to either attract prey or, as in this case,  confuse anything trying to eat them.

Update: See the discovery of this spider on video!

Decoy Spider

You could call it a Decoy Spider, in a sense. The spiders arrange debris along specialized silk strands called stabilimenta in a symmetrical form that makes it look almost exactly like a larger spider hanging on the web. Studies have found that some Cyclosa species have a higher survival rate against potential predators like paper wasps because the wasps end up attacking the debris on the web rather than the spider itself. As seen here, Cyclosa can make debris look a bit like a spider, but not nearly as detailed as the spiders found at the Tambopata Research Center which have a complex form that actually looks like a bigger version of themselves, complete with legs and all.

After asking other experts, I cannot seem to find another example of an animal creating a bigger, decoy version of itself to escape predation, making this species not only interesting to taxonomists naming new species but to those who study animal behavior, as well.

After 3 days of searching, we found about 25 of the spiders found in one floodplain area surrounding this Amazon jungle lodge, the Tambopata Research Center. Extensive searches in other areas did not turn up any of the spiders, showing that they have a rather restricted range, at least locally.

What’s the next step after discovering a new species?

It takes a lot of time and effort to go from finding it in the field to actually describing it. Specimens will have to be collected to compare to known species, dissections will be done on identifying features like the genitalia, and descriptions will have to be written to show why this species is different from others,  a type specimen will have to be selected, and the eventual publication of all of that information in a journal. Only then can it be considered a named new species to science.

For now, enjoy pointing it out with other explorers from around the world who come to Tambopata to check out all of our strange, interesting wildlife.

By Phil Torres

Phil Torres is a biologist, science communicator, photographer, and television host based in New York City who works on projects all over the globe. His work ranges from leading specialized ecotourism trips to photographing expeditions to being an on-camera personality and presenter.

 

Find his videos online at The Jungle Diaries.

 

Contact Philp: http://www.phil-torres.com/

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This trip was the highlight of our travels through peru. The lodge was absolutely 5 stars for everything. The room, food, people. We had a private guide, Allen, who grew up locally and really had deep knowledge of the land, the history, and the variety of plant and animal species in the jungle. His knowledge and passion were invaluable to our experience. There are a variety of tour companies and lodges you can book to visit the Amazon, however, I would only recommend Rainforest Expeditions as they are truly connected to the community and offer high quality first class amazon experience! Read all

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I just spent 3 days here with my family. The research center surpassed all our expectations. I want to give a special shout out to Carlos who took such good care of us. He went above and beyond to make sure we werr comfortable. And he was always smiling. He made us feel so welcome. We had Erik as our guide who is so knowledgeable and experienced. We learned so much, saw so much wildlife. It really was a dream vacation. Thank you!! Read all

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I can not say enough good things about my time at the Tambopata Research Center. Between the guides, the boat drivers, the chefs, the staff, the bartenders, the researchers, etc. Everyone was absolutely wonderful! If you are interested in viewing wildlife in the Amazon, this is the place for you! A special thank you to the maître d' Carlos who was so incredibly kind and hospitable and our guide Dino who was like a real life Indiana Jones. I can't wait to come back! Read all

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Fantastic to be deep in the forest surrounded by incredible wildlife with our amazing guide Juan Carlos Yatto, who really knew his stuff! Also his photography skills meant that we could share our experience even better through his telescope using our phone cameras! We learned so much!! He went to extra lengths to find butterflies and moths for us along with so many different birds and monkeys. This was a travel highlight for us as experienced wildlife travellers. We loved our spacious room with no windows and open to more wildlife visitors but after 5 nights the bed could have been a little more comfortable. Luckily we had a second bed to use. Otherwise it was fantastic with hot water showers and fresh drinking water all the time. We were amazed at the variety of food on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner and couldn’t believe they could have such a wonderful food offering in such a remote location. Even the wine and cocktails were great. I highly recommend spending the extra money and time getting to this location. We stayed at another lodge later which was closer to Puerto Maldonado and there was far less wildlife. Read all

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