After mating, the male Philoponella prominens spider—a type of orb weaver native to Japan and Korea—catapults itself away from the female at astounding speed. Why? To avoid being eaten by the female once the deed is done and its services are no longer required. Researchers captured high-resolution video of the spider's launch, clocked between 32 centimeters to 88 centimeters per second. From Science News:
…The movement was "so fast that common cameras could not record the details," says Zhang, of Hubei University in Wuhan, China.
Males hold the tips of their front legs against a female's body. The spiders then use hydraulic pressure to extend a joint in those legs, quickly launching a male off a female before she can capture and eat him.
