"Male and Female Spiders Team Up to Perfectly Mimic Flower, Fooling Prey and Predators"

TL;DR Summary
Researchers in a tropical rainforest in China observed a male and female crab spider, Thomisus guangxicus, resembling a complete flower, potentially exhibiting cooperative mimicry. The larger female spider mimics the petals of the Hoya pandurata plant, while the male perched on top resembles the flower's pistils and stamens. This behavior may help them avoid predation and improve male survival during the mating process. The study suggests that this could be the first known case of cooperative mimicry in the world, providing insights into the remarkable mimicry and ambush skills of crab spiders.
- Male And Female Spider Perfectly Resemble Flower In Potential Cooperative Mimicry World First IFLScience
- Male and female crab spiders found to 'cooperate' to mimic a flower to fool prey and predators Phys.org
- Male and female spiders pair up to look like a flower New Scientist
- Everyone can see the spider – but even top SCIENTISTS missed the second one, can you find it in 12 s... The Irish Sun
- Can you spot the SECOND spider hiding in this picture? Scientists who took the image didn't even know it was there... MSN
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