Interpopulation variation in the risk-related decisions of Portia labiata, an araneophagic jumping spider (Araneae, Salticidae), during predatory sequences with spitting spiders

Jackson, Robert R.; Pollard, Simon D.; Li, Daiqin; Fijn, Natasha

doi:10.1007/s10071-002-0150-y

Cited by 68 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 120 publications

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“…Besides having venom and fangs, and ability to bite, there are even a few spiders (the species in the genus Scytodes) that spit a sticky gum over would-be predators (Li et al 1999). With mouthparts occupied, the spider and the ant may become safer prey for the araneophagic and myrmecophagic salticid, respectively ( Jackson et al 2002), and Portia has been shown to choose spitting spiders that have their mouthparts encumbered carrying eggs in preference to more dangerous unencumbered spitting spiders (Li & Jackson 2003). By preferring ants with encumbered mandibles, C. gulosus apparently adopts a similar strategy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an alternative hypothesis, perhaps encumbered ants and Myrmarachne males are ignored because they do not resemble anything identifiable as prey to P. fimbriata. However, this seems unlikely because Portia readily preys on encumbered spiders ( Jackson et al 2002) and this alternative hypothesis requires an explanation for why Portia can identify a spider behind a parcel but not an ant. Besides, we showed that C. gulosus distinguishes between encumbered and unencumbered ants, choosing the encumbered ant, and the alternative hypothesis requires an explanation for why Portia's vision-based prey discrimination fails where C. gulosus's succeeds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compound mimicry and trading predators by the males of sexually dimorphic Batesian mimics

Nelson

Jackson

2005

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Sexual dimorphism is pronounced in Myrmarachne , a large genus of ant-like jumping spiders (Salticidae) and one of the major animal groups in which Batesian mimicry of ants has evolved. Although adult females and juveniles of both sexes are distinctly ant-like in appearance, Myrmarachne males have elongated chelicerae that might appear to detract from their resemblance to ants. Experimental findings suggest that the Myrmarachne male's solution is to adopt compound mimicry (i.e. the male's model seems to be not simply an ant worker but a combination of an ant and something carried in the ant's mandibles: an ‘encumbered ant’). By becoming a mimic of a particular subset of worker ants, Myrmarachne males may have retained their Batesian-mimicry defence against ant-averse predators, but at the price of receiving the unwanted attention of predators for which encumbered ants are preferred prey. Two salticid species were used as predators in the experiments. Portia fimbriata is known to choose other salticids as preferred prey and to avoid unencumbered ants and their mimics ( Myrmarachne females). In experiments reported here, P. fimbriata avoided encumbered ants and Myrmarachne males. Ants are the preferred prey of Chalcotropis gulosus . In our experiments, C. gulosus chose safer encumbered ants in preference to more dangerous unencumbered ants, chose Myrmarachne males more often than Myrmarachne females and showed no evidence of distinguishing between Myrmarachne males and encumbered ants. The cost of reconciling sexual dimorphism with Batesian mimicry appears to be that Myrmarachne males attract the unwanted attention of specialist predators of their compound model.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compound mimicry and trading predators by the males of sexually dimorphic Batesian mimics

Nelson

Jackson

2005

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…However, our methods here differ from the methods used in the earlier study [29] because, instead of changing the type of prey, we change the number of prey while keeping the type of prey constant. Our methods also differ by being based on Portia's known capacity to undertake detours even when these detours result in losing sight of the prey it is pursing [33][34][35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representation of different exact numbers of prey by a spider-eating predator

Cross

Jackson

2017

Interface Focus.

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Our objective was to use expectancy-violation methods for determining whether Portia africana , a salticid spider that specializes in eating other spiders, is proficient at representing exact numbers of prey. In our experiments, we relied on this predator's known capacity to gain access to prey by following pre-planned detours. After Portia first viewed a scene consisting of a particular number of prey items, it could then take a detour during which the scene went out of view. Upon reaching a tower at the end of the detour, Portia could again view a scene, but now the number of prey items might be different. We found that, compared with control trials in which the number was the same as before, Portia 's behaviour was significantly different in most instances when we made the following changes in number: 1 versus 2, 1 versus 3, 1 versus 4, 2 versus 3, 2 versus 4 or 2 versus 6. These effects were independent of whether the larger number was seen first or second. No significant effects were evident when the number of prey changed between 3 versus 4 or 3 versus 6. When we changed prey size and arrangement while keeping prey number constant, no significant effects were detected. Our findings suggest that Portia represents 1 and 2 as discrete number categories, but categorizes 3 or more as a single category that we call ‘many’.

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“…After hatching, there is an extended female-offspring association, with juveniles tending to remain in their mother's web until they develop into later instars (Li et al 1999). Because an egg-carrying female cannot spit without rst releasing her eggs, eggcarrying is a handicap ( Jackson et al 2002). An eggcarrying female occasionally releases her eggs to spit at prey or predators, but appears to be reluctant and slow to do so (Li et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It often preys on S. pallida, including both egg-carrying and eggless females ( Jackson et al 1998;Li et al 1999;D. Li, unpublished data), but prefers egg-carrying females to eggless ones ( Jackson et al 2002). Therefore, compared with eggless S. pallida females, egg-carrying S. pallida females are subject to intense predation by P. labiata.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hatching responses of subsocial spitting spiders to predation risk

2002

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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The carrying of eggs often renders parents vulnerable to predators due to increased conspicuousness or decreased mobility. Nonetheless, egg-carrying parents can escape from the predators to which they are vulnerable. Previous studies have demonstrated heavy predation by spider-eating jumping spiders (Portia labiata) on egg-carrying spitting spider (Scytodes pallida) females, but little predation on eggless females. If the timing of hatching is phenotypically plastic, then both S. pallida females and their eggs could reduce the risk of predation by hatching early. Hence, this study examines the hatching responses of S. pallida to chemical cues from P. labiata, both in the laboratory and in the eld, and addresses the following questions. (i) Do cues from predatory P. labiata in uence the hatching traits of S. pallida? (ii) Are the olfactory cues from predators suf cient for predator detection by S. pallida? (iii) Are hatching responses to predatory P. labiata controlled by egg-carrying S. pallida females, or directly by their embryos? The study provides evidence of hatching as a life-history switch point, which shows an adaptive plasticity in response to predation risk in egg-carrying S. pallida. Egg-carrying S. pallida females, but not unattended eggs, adjust egg-hatching time (the interval between oviposition and hatching) in response to the threat of predation on both the female and her eggs by P. labiata. In the presence of P. labiata, eggs that are carried by females hatch sooner; the hatchlings of these eggs are therefore smaller than hatchlings born in the absence of P. labiata. Chemical cues that are released from the draglines of P. labiata are suf cient to elicit changes in the egg-hatching traits of S. pallida. Hatching early in response to this predator may bene t both females and their offspring. To my knowledge, this is the rst direct experimental study to demonstrate predator-induced hatching plasticity in spiders and, in particular, in animals with parental care.

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Interpopulation variation in the risk-related decisions of Portia labiata, an araneophagic jumping spider (Araneae, Salticidae), during predatory sequences with spitting spiders

Cited by 68 publications

References 120 publications

Compound mimicry and trading predators by the males of sexually dimorphic Batesian mimics

Compound mimicry and trading predators by the males of sexually dimorphic Batesian mimics

Representation of different exact numbers of prey by a spider-eating predator

Hatching responses of subsocial spitting spiders to predation risk

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