Predatory Behavior of Jumping Spiders

Abstract

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 mimicry, myrmicophagy, and prey-specific prey-catching behavior. Salticids are also distinctive for development of behavioral flexibility, including conditional predatory strategies, the use of trial-and-error to solve predatory problems, and the undertaking of detours to reach prey. Predatory behavior of araneophagic salticids has undergone local adaptation to local prey, and there is evidence of predator-prey coevolution. Trade-offs between mating and predatory strategies appear to be important in ant-mimicking and araneophagic species.

Nocturnal foraging enhanced by enlarged secondary eyes in a net-casting spider

“…Anecdotal daylight observations in the habitat of D. spinosa reveal highly cryptic spiders that remain motionless in a habitat full of diurnal, visually oriented predators, shown previously to eat or parasitize spiders (e.g. song birds [24,25], parasitoid wasps [26] and jumping spiders [8]). We hypothesize that diurnal predation risk has played a role in the evolution of the obligate nocturnal lifestyle and associated sensory specializations observed in the net-casting spider D. spinosa.…”

“…Two notable exceptions are the ground-dwelling spider families Salticidae (the jumping spiders) and Lycosidae (the wolf spiders). Spiders from both families possess enlarged eyes used in foraging and mating contexts [5][6][7][8][9][10]. In stark contrast with their ground-dwelling relatives, an enhanced visual system is rare in web-building spiders, which tend to rely more on vibrational cues in their web for foraging and mating [4,11,12].…”

Secondary eyes mediate the response to looming objects in jumping spiders ( Phidippus audax , Salticidae)

“…An example is the visual system of the jumping spiders (family Salticidae), a group known for visually mediated behaviour in prey capture [1], courtship [2] and learning [3]. Their eight eyes include a pair of large, forward-facing principal eyes with an immovable cornea formed from the spider's cuticle, and a small retina at the back of a long eye tube (for a review of salticid eye structure, see [4]).…”

Trial‐and‐error derivation of aggressive‐mimicry signals byBrettusandCyrba, spartaeine jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Israel, Kenya, and Sri Lanka

“…The present paper is unconventional because the studied animals are jumping spiders instead of vertebrates. Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are distinctive because of their large eyes, acute vision, and complex predatory behaviour (Heil 1936;Drees 1952;Land 1969aLand ,b, 1974Forster 1982;Blest et al 1990;Richman & Jackson 1992;Jackson & Pollard 1996;Tarsitano et al 2000). Although most salticids may be insectivorous, 12 spartaeine species from five genera (Brettus adonis, Brettus albolimbatus, Brettus cingulatus, Cyrba algerina, Cyrba ocellata, Cyrba simoni, Gelotia lanka, Portia africana, Portia albimana, Portia fimbriata, Portia labiata, and Portia schultzi) are web-invading araneophagic predators that practise aggressive mimicry (Jackson 1992a(Jackson ,b, 2000.…”

“…Web-invading spartaeines make web signals primarily by manipulating web silk with their appendages, which can be moved in a variety of ways and in different combinations, putting an almost limitless variety of signals at the webinvading salticid's disposal during interactions with web-building spiders (Jackson & Pollard 1996). A large signal repertoire appears to contribute importantly to success at taking a wide variety of prey.…”