Baby spiders enjoy the company of other spiders. But adult spiders often eat each other. New research found that the adults seem to forget how to behave with each other after being alone too long. This causes the small, eight-legged creatures to become aggressive and even violent. These findings could help researchers understand why some spider species like to stay together their whole lives but most would eat another spider if given the chance. A report on the study appeared in the scientific publication PLOS Biology. Many people are frightened of spiders; yet the creatures are an important part of many ecosystems. Violette Chiara led the study. Chiara is a student at the University of Toulouse in France. She told VOA that spiders are often misunderstood. "Spiders are not just aggressive, cannibalistic monsters," Chiara said. "There are spiders that are social at the beginning of their lives, and there are also some species that remain social during their whole lives."