Unsupervised discovery and predictive sensorimotor transformation of spider prey capture through active vibration
Hsin-Yi Hung1, Abel Corver1,2, Andrew G Gordus1,3
1Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|June 12, 2025
Summary
Spiders use web vibrations to hunt, adjusting movements based on prey
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Bioacoustics
Background:
- Sensorimotor transformations are key for animals to interact with dynamic environments.
- Understanding these transformations in vibration sensing is crucial but limited.
- Substrate-borne vibration sensing is vital for many invertebrates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To dissect the sensorimotor basis of prey capture in spiders using vibration sensing.
- To identify behavioral states and predictive models for spider hunting sequences.
- To explore active sensing and closed-loop control in non-visual systems.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution web vibration recordings and fine-scale behavioral tracking in Uloborus diversus spiders.
- Unsupervised modeling to identify discrete behavioral states in capture sequences.
- A predictive framework combining a generalized linear model (GLM) and a hidden Markov model (HMM).
Main Results:
- Identified discrete behavioral states structuring spider capture sequences with >83% accuracy.
- Developed a GLM-HMM framework to predict behavioral transitions based on prey vibration.
- Observed context-dependent motor transitions (e.g., crouching, shaking) linked to vibration power changes.
- Spiders accurately turn towards the web radius with the highest vibration amplitude for prey localization.
Conclusions:
- Revealed a structured, predictive sensorimotor transformation linking vibration cues to behavioral states in spiders.
- Demonstrated spiders use active sensing behaviors to enhance signal detection.
- Highlighted general principles of closed-loop control in non-visual invertebrate systems.
- Provided insights into sensorimotor integration across species.
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