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09:03
Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
Published on: May 21, 2019
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Hemipteran defensive odors trigger predictable color biases in jumping spider predators
Michael E Vickers1, Lisa A Taylor2,3
1Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. michaelvickers@ufl.edu.
Scientific Reports
|December 15, 2020
Summary
The defensive odors of certain insects, like Hemiptera, can make jumping spiders avoid red prey. However, odors from beetles and grasshoppers did not produce this warning display effect.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Chemical Ecology
- Predator-Prey Interactions
Background:
- Multimodal warning displays, combining signals like odor and color, are crucial for predator avoidance.
- Previous research indicates synergistic interactions between warning signal modalities, where odors can reveal hidden aversions to specific colors.
- A prior study demonstrated this phenomenon in jumping spiders (Habronattus trimaculatus), linking a coreid bug's defensive odor to an aversion to red prey.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the generalizability of odor-induced color aversions in jumping spiders.
- To determine if defensive odors from various insect orders (Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera) elicit a similar aversion to red prey in *H. trimaculatus*.
- To assess the specificity of these odor-color interactions, testing if the effect is unique to red prey.
Main Methods:
- Jumping spiders (*H. trimaculatus*) were presented with a choice between red and black artificial prey.
- The experiment was conducted in the presence and absence of defensive odors from four different insect species: two Hemiptera, one Coleoptera, and one Orthoptera.
- Follow-up experiments tested the effect of relevant odors on spider choice between green and non-green prey.
Main Results:
- In the presence of Hemipteran (leaf-footed bug and stinkbug) odors, spiders significantly reduced attacks on red prey compared to trials without odor.
- Defensive odors from Asian ladybird beetles (Coleoptera) and eastern lubber grasshoppers (Orthoptera) did not alter the spiders' preference for or against red prey.
- The aversion to red prey induced by Hemipteran odors was specific, as these odors did not influence spider behavior towards green prey.
Conclusions:
- The phenomenon of odor-induced color aversion in jumping spiders is not universal across all defensive odors, being specific to certain insect groups like Hemiptera.
- These findings highlight the specificity of multimodal warning signal interactions and contribute to understanding generalized predator foraging strategies.
- The results underscore the ecological relevance of chemical cues in shaping predator behavior and the evolution of warning displays.
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