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The unusual spider in Aussie gardens you can hardly see

It's hard to miss a huntsman or a red-back when one crawls into your home, but there's one spider commonly found in gardens across the country that are rarely seen.

The Arasia mullion, commonly known as the jumping spider, is often sighted across eastern Australia, particularly in backyards throughout Sydney and across NSW.

But the mysterious spider has the ability to camouflage on a tree, and in most cases you'll never know it's hiding.

The jumping spider is thought to be native to NSW. Source: YouTube
The jumping spider is thought to be native to NSW. Source: YouTube

Scientists from Macquarie University have recently discovered how the small but mighty arachnid makes itself invisible to its predators, and they do so by making an "invisibility blankie" on a tree.

In their findings shared on PeerJ, they detailed how the spiders use bark debris they collect from their surroundings and repurpose it for their nests.

"We found that Arasia mullion led a sedentary life on the surface of tree trunks, where they build, decorate, and occupy their silk retreats," study authors wrote.

"The retreats were exclusively built over a dimple on the exposed surface of tree trunks."

Study author Alfonso Aceves further shared his findings on YouTube where he explained how it's done.

The jumping spider uses bark from the tree as a disguise. Source: YouTube
The jumping spider uses bark from the tree as a disguise. Source: YouTube

"The jumping spider Arasia mullion scrapes the surface of the tree trunk to collect debris. Then, the spider attaches the debris to a thin layer of silk from underneath. The final product is a very well camouflaged silk retreat," the video caption read.

Acording to the study, Arasia mullion were only discovered in 2002 and are thought to be native to NSW.

Very little is known about their behaviour, life history, or the characteristics of the habitats they occupy.

Meanwhile, a woman has shared an unsettling discovery after she found some unwelcome — and possibly deadly — roommates behind her bed.

According to a Facebook post, the New York woman noticed wasps in her home two years ago and believed they were getting in via an air conditioner.

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