According to Dieter Hochuli, a professor at the University of Sydney, the spider lures its prey with the highly visible white stripes of its web. The decorations, which significantly increase the rate at which it captures bees, wasps and houseflies, mimic the ultraviolet light reflected by flowers, tricking the pollinating insects into approaching the deadly trap.

Instant Expert: Launch Your Quick and Easy Primer on Just About Everything at popsci.com/instantexpert.