Most spiders only eject silk from glands in their rear ends but Scytodes—the spitting spider—is an exception. It can also shoot silk from its mouthpart. It does so with great force, and it impregnates these strands with venom to create a sticky gum that both poisons and traps its victims. It’s the closest natural equivalent to Spider-Man’s web-shooters.

If the prospect of a spider with a long-range weapon freaks you out, you are not alone. Even other spiders are wary of Scytodes.

In the Philippines, the spitting spider will readily attack jumping spiders and its web is often littered with arachnid carcasses. Ximena Nelson and Robert Jackson from the University of Canterbury have shown that it often targets a