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Biologists have revealed that city spiders lose their fear of light by building their canvases in well-lit places where they can easily find food.
They suggested that arachnids could benefit from shelter in lighted areas after overcoming their aversion to light.
When owners turn on household lamps, spiders freeze when they try to cross the previously dark room.
They have already built their canvases in dark recesses where the inhabitants of the property are unlikely to find their hidden haunts.
However, scientists have since proved that things could change after a group from the University of Regensburg, Germany, had used test spiders from urban and rural areas.
Take creatures from various parts of Europe to check if their fear of light changes compared to what we previously believed.
The results suggested that spiders from agricultural areas always avoided clear areas as a place to build their canvases.
But spiders in urban areas were just as happy to build their canvases in the brightest and darkest areas.
Dr. Tomer Czaczkes, a biologist at the University of Regensburg, who led the study, said: "Urban spiders may prefer light because they find more food there.
"Or it might be easier to survive inside buildings in the winter, so that spiders that do not fear the light survive better."
Dr. Czaczkes and his colleagues used the common house spider Steatoda triangulosa, also known as a triangular guinea-web spider, for their study.
This fake widow spider has a pattern on its abdomen and is usually found in dark corners and household cabinets.
The spider usually creates a tangle of canvases, which are different from the orderly canvases usually associated with domestic spiders.
It can be found in the United Kingdom and was generally based in southern Europe before extending its reach to northern Europe.
Dr. Czaczkes said that the idea of his study had been suggested by a walk to the house where he had noticed "big" spiders making their canvases in the street light.
The study used spider egg bags from cities and campaigns located in Germany, France and Italy, which they allowed to hatch.
These newborn spiders were exposed to light on one side and kept in the dark of the other. So they had the opportunity to create canvases at a time.
Ana María Bastidas-Urrutia, biologist at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich and co-author of the study, said: "We found that rural spiders avoided light and loved to build their web in the dark. "
"The urban spiders scoffed at the place where they had built their canvases. The light did not seem to bother them.
The evolution has been beneficial for spiders because the insects they feed on, such as moths, are attracted to artificial lights, which makes them easier to catch.
Due to the fact that arachnids were harvested before hatching, scientists believe that it is unlikely that they have ever learned to harness light.
Therefore, the decision to create canvases to light may be due to genetic changes, which, according to Dr. Czaczkes, could also occur in other species of spiders.
Lawrence Bee, of the British Arachnological Society, stated that it was likely that spiders adapted to light conditions as there were more prey around these areas at night.
"The lights attract a whole community of insects at night, so it's not surprising that spiders adapt to this kind of thing," he said. "At this time of year, they are usually more active at home, so owners may encounter them more, but it's hard to say if it stops them from losing any fear of light. . "
Dr. Maxime Dahirel, an ecologist at the University of Ghent in Belgium who has studied spiders and urbanization, added: "The responses to the light will probably depend on the species.
"A recent article showed that increased exposure to light resulted in reduced survival in another spider species. There may be positive effects for some species but probably negative for many others.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
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