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Researchers uncover parasites that manipulate their hosts into performing bizarre and sometimes fatal behaviors. Swimming lessons, dangerous attractions, and unauthorized construction projects linked to biological manipulation.
It turns out “spider silk” is a whole materials portfolio. Sylvie’s web uses specialized protein-based fibers for different jobs, and support lines, capture threads, attachments, and wrapping fibers are not all made from the same silk.
Joro panic puts yellow garden spiders under suspicion in a growing case of mistaken identity. Body shape, web structure, and several other clues help clear the native suspect.