New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Prey-capture techniques and prey preferences of nine species of ant-eating
jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from the Philippines
ROBERT R. JACKSON1
DAIQIN LI2
ALBERTO T. BARRION3
G. B. EDWARDS4
1Department of Zoology
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand
2Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
Singapore 119260
3Entomology Division
International Rice Research Institute
Manila 1099, Philippines
4Florida State Collection of Arthropods
Division of Plant Industry
Gainesville, Florida 32614-7100, USA
Abstract Siler sp.,
Euophrys sp. 1 and 2, and
six species of
Chalcotropis feed on ants in nature. Capture techniques
and preferences of each species were studied in the laboratory using a wide
variety of ants and other insects.
Siler sp. usually attacked ants, but
not other insects, from directly behind.
Euophrys sp. 1 and 2
consistently attacked ants, but not other insects, head on.
Chalcotropis
attacked large ants head on, but there was no particular orientation of attacks
on small ants or on other prey regardless of size. All species tended to stab
ants, but not other prey, several times before holding on. In three types of
prey-preference tests, each of the nine salticid species took dolichoderine,
formicine, myrmicine, ponerine, and pseudomyrmecine ants in preference to a
variety of other insects (aphids, bugs, caterpillars, cockroaches, crickets,
flies, gnats, lacewings, mantises, may flies, midges, mosquitoes, moths, plant
and leafhoppers, plant lice, and termites). Testing with laboratory-reared
spiders showed that the development of preference for ants and ant-specific
prey-capture behaviour did not depend on prior experience with ants. Each
species was shown in tests with dead, motionless lures to be capable of
distinguishing between ants and other types of prey independent of the
different movement patterns of the prey. Findings are discussed in relation to
other studies on specialised salticids and in relation to the structure and
function of the salticid eye.
Keywords spiders; Salticidae; ants; predation; myrmecophagy;
prey preferences
Z97045
Received 15 December 1997; accepted 8 April 1998
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (4512K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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