There's a type of spider that can slowly stretch its web taut and then release it, causing the web to catapult forward and entangle unsuspecting prey in its strands.

The spider Hyptiotes reinvented the concept of the web, building an extraordinary, spring-loaded trap.

Using its web as a “tool” to store and release energy, the triangle weaver spider lunges at speeds equivalent to a human sprinting at 1,700 miles per hour.

The newly recorded behavior could mean the jorō spider, an invasive species, can provide a small but positive benefit to other wildlife.