COSMOS MAGAZINE
A nocturnal species of orb-weaving spider, Araneus ventricosus, has been caught manipulating male fireflies to attract more victims. Scientists think the spiders alter the fireflies’ signals somehow, possibly through repeated wrapping and biting attacks.
X-ray videography has revealed how juvenile Japanese eels escape after being swallowed whole by their predator, a freshwater fish ominously known as the dark sleeper. Their escape route? Tail-first up through the oesophagus and then out through the gills!
An Australian researcher stumbled across a striking new genus of longhorn beetle that appears to be covered in white, fluffy hairs. Though the purpose of the hairs isn’t known, the main theory is that they make the insect look like it’s been killed by an insect-killing fungus.