Overview

• Researchers documented Psechrus clavis delaying consumption of captured fireflies for up to about an hour and intermittently checking on them.
• LED lights calibrated to firefly glow placed in real webs drew roughly three times more total prey and about ten times more fireflies than control webs.
• Most fireflies caught were males, suggesting mate-seeking males mistook stationary glows for potential partners.
• Video showed spiders immediately eating moths but not fireflies, indicating prey-specific handling likely cued by bioluminescence.
• Authors interpret the behavior as predators exploiting prey mating signals to outsource attraction, while noting LED stand-ins are a limitation and that using live fireflies would be preferable but difficult.