Spider makes fireflies flash as bait

Orb-weaving spiders (Araneus ventricosus) make trapped male Absocondita terminalis fireflies flash like females to tempt more insects into their web. The spiders bite and wrap a flashing male firefly using a different technique than the one used on other prey. This method seems to change the repeating light sequence of the male firefly — which can still flash after being bitten — to one that resembles a female’s single pulse. The signal seems to tempt more males to their demise.