Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. A trapdoor spider, known only as “Number 16,” was first ...

These circular creations are made by a class of spiders called orb weavers that includes lots of common garden spiders. They adjust their design based on which insects they’re most likely to capture: ...

Webs can be decorated with decoys, fine-tuned like guitars—and hold secrets about evolution. A Cyclosa spider is camouflaged on a web with debris attached to make itself less visible at the Los Amigos ...