Video: Spoor Spider Uses Hot Desert Sand to Kill Captured Dune Ants

Posted on May 11, 2014



This "Deadliest Showdowns" video from BBC Earth shows how the Spoor spider catches Dune ants in the Namibian desert. The spider covers itself in sand for camouflage and makes a trap where it hides underground away from the hot sun.

It leaves a small strand of web so it knows if a Dune ant crosses its trap. The spider rapidly lunges up if it senses prey and then tries to pin the ant to the hot sand to kill it.

Dune ants themselves also make use of the hot sand to kill enemy ants in battle, see here.

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