Multi-Modal Courtship in the Peacock Spider, Maratus volans (O.P.-Cambridge, 1874)

Abstract

The peacock spider, Maratus volans, has one of the most elaborate courtship displays in arthropods. Using regular and high-speed video segments captured in the lab, we provide detailed descriptions of complete male courtship dances. As research on jumping spiders has demonstrated that males of some species produce vibrations concurrently with visual displays, we also used laser vibrometry to uncover such elements for this species. Our recordings reveal and describe for the first time, that M. volans males use vibratory signals in addition to complex body ornaments and motion displays. The peacock spider and other closely related species are outstanding study organisms for testing hypotheses about the evolution and functional significance of complex displays, thus, this descriptive study establishes a new model system for behavioral ecology, one that certainly stands to make important contributions to the field.

Female preference for multi-modal courtship: multiple signals are important for male mating success in peacock spiders

“…Future work using a hyperspectral camera [39] will avoid these problems and will allow us to (i) investigate how variation in colour traits affects female preferences, (ii) explore patterns of correlation between colour and other aspects of courtship, and (iii) examine if ornamentation patterns act as independent signals or if they serve predominantly as amplifiers for other elements of courtship displays, as observed in the more simply ornamented Schizocosa wolf spiders [40]. In peacock spiders, males are much more likely to perform vibratory displays when females are not looking at them [17], suggesting that vibrations may serve to capture a female's attention, and direct her focus towards other more salient visual signals.…”

“…Only successful males made it to the final courtship stage, the pre-mount display [17], during which males produce two other types of vibratory signals: 'crunch-rolls' (Cr-Rolls) and 'grind-revs' (Gr-Revs). For these males, we also measured the number of Cr-Rolls produced at the beginning of the display, duration of the Cr-Roll sequence and mean duration of Cr-Rolls, duration of the first and second distinct phases of Gr-Rev production, as well as number and duration of individual Gr-Revs in the first Gr-Rev phase.…”

“…During courtship, male peacock spiders wave ornamented abdominal flaps and elongated third legs to nearby females [16 -18]. In conjunction with visual displays, males also use vibratory signals [17] for intersexual communication. Preliminary data suggest that this group may contain as many as 40 different species [16] varying widely in habitat, distribution, morphology and behaviour.…”

The relationship between male sexual signals, cognitive performance, and mating success in stickleback fish

“…They may contain several sequential steps, occur in multiple modalities (e.g., visual, acoustic, and tactile signals), involve the integration of morphological and behavioral signals, and be context dependent. For example, peacock spiders synchronously use motion displays, body ornamentation, and vibrations in their courtship display (Girard, Kasumovic, & Elias, 2011). Proper coordination of these courtship signals is essential for them to operate as an effective display.…”

A dual function of white coloration in a nocturnal spider Dolomedes raptor (Araneae: Pisauridae)

“…Members of the diurnally active and diverse genus Habronattus (ca. 100 species) are well known for their elaborate male secondary sexual traits which include spectacular color patterns, morphological "ornaments" and complex courtship displays (Elias, Maddison, Peckmezian, Girard, & Mason, 2012;Girard, Kasumovic, & Elias, 2011). It has been known in sexually dimorphic animals that diet is closely related to the attractiveness of the sexual traits that are preferred by females when choosing a mate (Ferkin, Sorokin, Johnston, & Lee, 1997;Hill, 1992;McGlothlin, Duffy, Henry-Freeman, & Ketterson, 2007).…”