Some insects disguise themselves as spiders to avoid getting eaten

Some moths and flies disguise themselves as the jumping spiders that eat them – and the trick is highly convincing when viewed from a predator’s perspective.

This might allow such prey to escape before the spiders can recognise the ploy and pounce, says Dinesh Rao at the University of Veracruz in Mexico.

“They just need a little bit more time, a little bit of confusion on the part of the predator, and that’s enough for them to move to a…