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Colouration in crab spiders: substrate choice and prey attraction.

Astrid M Heiling1, Lars Chittka, Ken Cheng

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109 NSW Australia. astrid.heiling@univie.ac.at

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|May 10, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Crab spiders (Thomisus spectabilis) select flower colors to match their own body color, influencing honeybee behavior. This camouflage strategy deceives or fails to deter bees, impacting predator-prey dynamics.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Vision Science

Background:

  • Crab spiders (Thomisus spectabilis) can change color (yellow/white) to ambush pollinating insects like honeybees (Apis mellifera).
  • Traditional assumption: spiders match flower color for crypsis (camouflage).
  • This study investigates spider color matching and its effect on bee behavior using bee vision knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the assumption that crab spiders change color to match flowers for camouflage.
  • To determine if spider body color influences flower selection by spiders.
  • To analyze how spider-flower color combinations affect honeybee landing preferences.

Main Methods:

  • Field observations of spider color and flower association (yellow/white daisies).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Laboratory experiments testing spider flower preference.
  • Behavioral experiments assessing honeybee landing choices on flowers with and without spiders, considering bee visual perception.

    • Main Results:

    • Yellow spiders exclusively on yellow daisies; white spiders on yellow and white daisies.
    • Yellow spiders preferred yellow flowers; white spiders showed no significant flower preference.
    • Honeybees' responses were not predicted by classical crypsis; bees were attracted to white spiders on white flowers due to UV reflectance contrast.
    • Bees preferred flowers with white spiders (on white or yellow) and were indifferent to yellow spiders on yellow flowers, but rejected yellow spiders on white flowers.

    Conclusions:

    • Thomisus spectabilis adaptively select flower backgrounds matching their body color.
    • This selection deceives honeybees or fails to deter them, challenging traditional crypsis assumptions.
    • Spider coloration and flower background interact with bee vision to influence predator-prey interactions.