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09:03
Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
Published on: May 21, 2019
Spiders fluoresce variably across many taxa.
Kindra Andrews1, Scott M Reed, Susan E Masta
1Department of Biology, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207, USA.
Biology Letters
|April 7, 2007
Summary
Spiders exhibit fluorescence under ultraviolet light due to sequestered fluorophores. This trait evolved multiple times and may be influenced by predator-prey interactions, offering new insights into spider evolution.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biochemistry
- Zoology
Background:
- Fluorescence in organisms is a recently observed phenomenon with limited research.
- The evolutionary origins and mechanisms of fluorescence are largely unknown.
- Spiders represent a diverse group where fluorescence has been newly documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and variation of fluorescence across diverse spider taxa.
- To identify the sources and chemical properties of fluorescent compounds in spiders.
- To explore the evolutionary history and potential drivers of fluorescence in spiders.
Main Methods:
- Examined fluorescence in various spider species under ultraviolet illumination.
- Analyzed the presence and location of fluorophores in spider haemolymph, setae, and cuticle.
- Characterized the excitation and emission spectra of extracted fluorescent compounds.
Main Results:
- All examined spiders possess haemolymph fluorophores; bright fluorescence correlates with sequestration in setae or cuticle.
- Fluorescent expression is highly variable and has evolved independently multiple times across spider families.
- Spiders utilize multiple fluorophores, with some novel compounds evolving during diversification, differing among families.
Conclusions:
- Spider fluorescence is a labile trait with a polyphyletic evolutionary history.
- Novel fluorophores have evolved within specific spider lineages.
- Predator-prey interactions, involving visual perception of fluorescence by birds and insects, may be a selective pressure driving the evolution of this trait.
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