Scientists discover 'ballista spider' that launches ants with 140 times force of gravity

Key facts

• The newly described spider, nicknamed the 'ballista spider', was discovered in the rainforests of far north Queensland, Australia.
• The spider uses a silk-powered trap that launches prey with accelerations reaching up to 1,367 metres per second squared, equivalent to 140 times Earth's gravity.
• The spider belongs to the genus Propostira in the cobweb spider family Theridiidae and specifically targets aggressive green tree ants (Oecophylla smaragdina).
• The trap is triggered by the ant itself when it bites a cone-shaped silk structure, releasing stored energy and launching the ant into the spider's web above.
• The discovery was published in the journal Current Biology under the title 'Ballistic high-powered spider webs overcome dangerous prey defenses'.