Development of prey-specific predatory behavior in a jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae) (original) (raw)
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Predatory behavior of jumping spiders
Annual Review of Entomology, 1996
Salticids, the largest family of spiders, have unique eyes, acute vision, and elaborate vision-mediated predatory behavior, which is more pronounced than in any other spider group. Diverse predatory strategies have evolved, including araneophagy, aggressive ...
Alternative predatory tactics in a juvenile jumping spider
Journal of Arachnology, 2008
The hunting behavior of juvenile Yllenus arenarius Menge 1868 in their first week after leaving sub-sand nests was studied. The spiders were tested with prey that can effectively escape (Homoptera) and prey that are not capable of efficient escape (Thysanoptera and larvae of Lepidoptera) in order to assess the complexity of young spiders' hunting tactics. Numerous differences were found in the mode of catching the prey, which indicate that the spiders possess a conditional hunting strategy. The strategy is expressed in: direction of approach, speed of approach, distance of attack and other prey-specific behaviors. The results strongly suggest the pre-programmed background of both the observed behaviors and sensitivity towards certain prey characteristics that enabled prey identification.
Opportunistic use of cognitive smokescreens by araneophagic jumping spiders
Animal Cognition, 2002
Little is known about how a prey species' cognitive limitations might shape a predator's prey-capture strategy. A specific hypothesis is investigated: predators take advantage of times when the prey's attention is focussed on its own prey. Portia fimbriata, an araneophagic jumping spider (Salticidae) from Queensland, is shown in a series of 11 experiments to exploit opportunistically a situation in which a web-building spider on which it preys, Zosis genicularis (Uloboridae), is preoccupied with wrapping up its own prey. Experimental evidence supports three conclusions: (1) while relying on optical cues alone, P. fimbriata perceives when Z. genicularis is wrapping up prey; (2) when busy wrapping up prey, the responsiveness of Z. genicularis to cues from potential predators is diminished; and (3) P. fimbriata moves primarily during intervals when Z. genicularis is busy wrapping up prey. P. fimbriata's strategy is effective partly because the wrapping behaviour of Z. genicularis masks the web signals generated by the advancing P. fimbriata's footsteps and also because, while wrapping, Z. genicularis' attention is diverted away from predator-revealing cues.
The influence of camouflage and prey type on predatory decisions of jumping spider
Folia Biologica et Oecologica, 2013
Decisions made by predators during predatory encounters are often based on multiple factors that may influence the outcome of the encounters. For stalking predators their visibility to the prey and the ability of their prey to escape may be important factors influencing predatory success. Hence they are likely to adapt their predatory behavior when approaching prey on backgrounds with different camouflaging properties, but only if the prey is able to escape. To test whether jumping spiders flexibly adapt their predatory behavior to camouflaging properties of the background and prey type, the behavior of Yllenus arenarius (Araneae, Salticide), a cryptically colored jumping spider hunting leafhoppers (high escape potential) and caterpillars (low escape potential) on two types of background: matching and non-matching for the spiders was analyzed. Background color had a significant effect on the spiders' jumping distance and their predatory success, but only if the prey had a high escape potential. No differences occurred between backgrounds if the prey could not escape. On camouflaging background the spiders attacked leafhoppers from a shorter distance and had a higher success than on non-camouflaging background. KEY WORDS: crypsis, predatory behavior, behavioral plasticity, salticid spider, Yllenus arenarius Unauthenticated Download Date | 3/5/15 8:54 AM Unauthenticated Download Date | 3/5/15 8:54 AM FOLIA BIOLOGICA ET OECOLOGICA BARTOS M. 28
Predatory response to changes in camouflage in a sexually dimorphic jumping spider
Journal of Arachnology, 2013
Cryptic animals tend to spend most of their lives keeping still. The majority of predators, however, including those cryptically colored, are forced to move in order to find and approach their prey. For such predators visibility may be an important factor influencing predatory behavior. Therefore we can expect differences in the way they approach their prey on backgrounds with different camouflaging properties. To test this, we examined the behavior of Yllenus arenarius Menge 1868 (Araneae: Salticidae), a cryptically colored jumping spider, hunting leafhoppers on backgrounds matching and non-matching for the spiders. Juvenile and female Y. arenarius are cryptic on light sand, but males lose their cryptic coloration for this background after their final molt. We designed an experiment to determine if increased visibility of the spiders influenced their predatory behavior. We found that background color had a significant effect on jumping distance, approaching speed and predatory success. On the light background cryptic spiders attacked from closer distances, approached prey with faster speeds and had higher success than on the dark background. Differences in approaching speed between males before and after final molt suggest a combined effect of background color and ontogenetic change of body coloration on the predatory decisions of these male spiders.
The Journal of experimental biology, 2002
Portia fimbriata from Queensland, Australia, is a jumping spider (Salticidae) that preys on other spiders, including other salticids. Cryptic stalking (palps retracted, walking very slowly and freezing when faced) is a prey-specific tactic deployed exclusively against salticid prey. Using vision alone, P. fimbriata discriminates salticid from non-salticid prey, with the prey salticid's large anterior median (AM) eyes providing critical cues. Here, using computer-rendered virtual three-dimensional lures, we clarify experimentally some of the specific optical cues from AM eyes that influence the behaviour of P. fimbriata. Control lures were based on Jacksonoides queenslandicus, the salticid upon which P. fimbriata most commonly preys in nature. Experimental lures were modified to isolate specific combinations of AM eye features. For presentation to P. fimbriata, lures were projected on a small screen positioned in front of a web-covered platform. Each individual P. fimbriata was t...
Journal of Zoology, 2006
Three species of Portia (Portia africana from Kenya, Portia fimbriata from Australia and Portia labiata from the Philippines) were tested with flies Drosophila immigrans and Musca domestica and with web-building spiders Badumna longinquus and Pholcus phalangioides. Badumna longinquus has powerful chelicerae, but not especially long legs, whereas Ph. phalangioides has exceptionally long legs, but only small, weak chelicerae. Typically, Portia sighted flies, walked directly towards them and attacked without adjusting orientation. However, Portia's attacks on the spiders were aimed primarily at the cephalothorax instead of the legs or abdomen. Portia usually targeted the posterior-dorsal region of B. longinquus' cephalothorax by attacking this species from above and behind. When the prey was Ph. phalangioides, attack orientation was defined primarily by opportunistic gaps between this species' long legs (gaps through which Portia could contact the pholcid's body without contacting one of the pholcid's legs). Portia's attack strategy appears to be an adjustment to the different types of risk posed by different types of prey.
Spontaneous movement behaviour in spiders (Araneae) with different hunting strategies
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
The prey choices of predators are determined, in part, by their hunting strategies. The sit-and-wait and the actively searching strategies seem designed for active and stationary prey, respectively. A supposedly intermediate strategy, the saltatory or sit-and-move strategy, combines sitting still, scanning for prey with frequent moves to new scanning sites. We tested the hypothesis that the spontaneous movements of predators, i.e. activity performed in constant conditions in the laboratory, reflect their hunting strategy. We compared the crab spider Xysticus cristatus (sit-and-wait), the sac spider Clubiona phragmitis (active hunting) and the wolf spider Pardosa amentata (sit-and-move). We used automatic video tracking throughout 6 h during both light and dark conditions to quantify movement parameters: time in movement/rest; total distance moved, maximal velocity; mean velocity during movement; number of stops, longest rest period; and turn rate and turn bias. Xysticus and Clubiona confirmed predictions, but Pardosa showed a combination of movement parameters that was not intermediate between the other two. We suggest the existence of a sit-and-wait/sit-and-move continuum with varying proportions of sitting and moving, characterized by scanning for prey from a resting position, whereas the active searching strategy is distinct owing to detection of prey while the predator is moving.