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Coppola VJ, Caram HE, Robeson C, Beeler SM, Hebets EA, Wiegmann DD, Bingman VP. Investigating boundary-geometry use by whip spiders (Phrynus marginemaculatus) during goal-directed navigation. Learn Behav 2024; 52:170-178. [PMID: 37620643 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00600-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that whip spiders (Amblypygi) can use a variety of cues to navigate to and recognize a home refuge. The current study aimed to determine whether whip spiders were capable of using the boundary geometry of an experimental space (geometric information) to guide goal-directed navigation and to investigate any preferential use of geometric or feature (visual) information. Animals were first trained to find a goal location situated in one corner of a rectangular arena (geometric information) fronting a dark-green-colored wall, which created a brightness contrast with the other three white walls (feature information). Various probe trials were then implemented to determine cue use. It was found that animals were capable of directing their choice behavior towards geometrically correct corners at a rate significantly higher than chance, even when the feature cue was removed. By contrast, choice behavior dropped to random chance when geometric information was removed (test in a square arena) and only feature information remained. Choice behavior was also reduced to chance when geometric and feature information were set in conflict (by moving the feature cue to one of the longer walls in the rectangular arena). The data thus suggest that whip spiders are capable of using geometric information to guide goal-directed navigation and that geometric information is preferred over feature guidance, although a feature cue may set the context for activating geometry-guided navigation. Experimental design limitations and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Coppola
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA.
| | - Hannah E Caram
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA
| | - Cecilia Robeson
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA
| | - Sophia M Beeler
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA
| | - Eileen A Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Daniel D Wiegmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - Verner P Bingman
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
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2
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Gawel L, Powell EC, Brock M, Taylor LA. Conspicuous stripes on prey capture attention and reduce attacks by foraging jumping spiders. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230907. [PMID: 38026030 PMCID: PMC10663800 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Many animals avoid predation using aposematic displays that pair toxic/dangerous defences with conspicuous achromatic warning patterns, such as high-contrast stripes. To understand how these prey defences work, we need to understand the decision-making of visual predators. Here we gave two species of jumping spiders (Phidippus regius and Habronattus trimaculatus) choice tests using live termites that had their back patterns manipulated using paper capes (solid white, solid black, striped). For P. regius, black and striped termites were quicker to capture attention. Yet despite this increased attention, striped termites were attacked at lower rates than either white or black. This suggests that the termite's contrast with the background elicits attention, but the internal striped body patterning reduces attacks. Results from tests with H. trimaculatus were qualitatively similar but did not meet the threshold for statistical significance. Additional exploratory analyses suggest that attention to and aversion to stripes is at least partially innate and provide further insight into how decision-making played out during trials. Because of their rich diversity (over 6500 species) that includes variation in natural history, toxin susceptibility and degree of colour vision, jumping spiders are well suited to test broad generalizations about how and why aposematic displays work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Gawel
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Erin C. Powell
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, 1911 SW 34th St, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Michelle Brock
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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3
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Raška J, Chalušová K, Krajiček J, Čabala R, Bosáková Z, Štys P, Exnerová A. Ontogenetic change in effectiveness of chemical defence against different predators in Oxycarenus true bugs. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1050-1064. [PMID: 37428808 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Many prey species change their antipredator defence during ontogeny, which may be connected to different potential predators over the life cycle of the prey. To test this hypothesis, we compared reactions of two predator taxa - spiders and birds - to larvae and adults of two invasive true bug species, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis and Oxycarenus lavaterae (Heteroptera: Oxycarenidae) with life-stage-specific chemical defence mechanisms. The reactions to larvae and adults of both true bug species strikingly differed between the two predator taxa. The spiders were deterred by the defences of adult bugs, but the larval defences were ineffective against them. By contrast, birds attacked the larvae considerably less often than the adult bugs. The results indicate a predator-specific ontogenetic change in defence effectiveness of both Oxycarenus species. The change in defence is likely linked to the life-stage-specific composition of secretions in both species: whereas secretions of larvae are dominated by unsaturated aldehydes, secretions of adults are rich in terpenoids, which probably serve dual function of defensive chemicals and pheromones. Our results highlight the variation in defence between different life stages and the importance of testing responses of different types of predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Chalušová
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Krajiček
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Radomír Čabala
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Bosáková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Štys
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Charles University Faculty of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
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4
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Ben-Oren Y, Truskanov N, Lotem A. House sparrows use learned information selectively based on whether reward is hidden or visible. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1545-1555. [PMID: 35641754 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01637-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Based on past experience, food-related-cues can help foragers to predict the presence and the expected quality of food. However, when the food is already visible there is no need to predict its presence or its other visible attributes, but only those that are still cryptic, such as expected handling time or taste. Optimal foragers should therefore use only knowledge that is relevant to the current setting. Nevertheless, the extent to which they do so is not clear. In a set of experiments, we examined how a change in setting, from hidden to visible reward, affects the reliance of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) on three previously learned attributes of food-related cues (sand colors): the setting of the cue (e.g., whether the food was hidden or exposed), the expected amount of the reward (number of seeds), and the expected handling time. We found that sparrows used all three attributes when the rewards were hidden but reached decisions mainly based on handling time when the rewards were visible. This selective use of cue-related information suggests that animals do not simply associate cues with their average expected value but rather learn different attributes of a cue and use all, or only some of them, in a context-appropriate manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yotam Ben-Oren
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. .,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Noa Truskanov
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - Arnon Lotem
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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5
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Petschenka G, Halitschke R, Züst T, Roth A, Stiehler S, Tenbusch L, Hartwig C, Gámez JFM, Trusch R, Deckert J, Chalušová K, Vilcinskas A, Exnerová A. Sequestration of defenses against predators drives specialized host plant associations in preadapted milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae). Am Nat 2022; 199:E211-E228. [DOI: 10.1086/719196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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6
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Cook C, Powell EC, McGraw KJ, Taylor LA. Sexually dimorphic dorsal coloration in a jumping spider: testing a potential case of sex-specific mimicry. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210308. [PMID: 34168891 PMCID: PMC8220260 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To avoid predation, many animals mimic behaviours and/or coloration of dangerous prey. Here we examine potential sex-specific mimicry in the jumping spider Habronattus pyrrithrix. Previous work proposed that males' conspicuous dorsal coloration paired with characteristic leg-waving (i.e. false antennation) imperfectly mimics hymenopteran insects (e.g. wasps and bees), affording protection to males during mate-searching and courtship. By contrast, less active females are cryptic and display less leg-waving. Here we test the hypothesis that sexually dimorphic dorsal colour patterns in H. pyrrithrix are most effective when paired with sex-specific behaviours. We manipulated spider dorsal coloration with makeup to model the opposite sex and exposed them to a larger salticid predator (Phidippus californicus). We predicted that males painted like females should suffer higher predation rates than sham-control males. Likewise, females painted like males should suffer higher predation rates than sham-control females. Contrary to expectations, spiders with male-like coloration were attacked more than those with female-like coloration, regardless of their actual sex. Moreover, males were more likely to be captured, and were captured sooner, than females (regardless of colour pattern). With these unexpected negative results, we discuss alternative functional hypotheses for H. pyrrithrix colours, as well as the evolution of defensive coloration generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collette Cook
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Erin C. Powell
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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7
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Jumping spiders: An exceptional group for comparative cognition studies. Learn Behav 2021; 49:276-291. [PMID: 33443650 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-020-00445-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of cognition in animals. Broadly, these hypotheses fall under two categories: those that pertain to the selective pressures exerted either by sociality or by the ecological niche in which animals live. We review these ideas and then discuss why the highly visual jumping spiders (Salticidae) are excellent models for investigating how cognitive ability evolves. With few exceptions, these behaviorally complex spiders are non-social, making them ideal candidates to explore ideas pertaining to selection based on habitat complexity and selection based on predatory behavior (foraging niche hypotheses). With the exception of Antarctica, salticids are found in all habitats on Earth, ranging from very complex to barren and simple. While many species are generalist predators, a minority also have specialized predatory behavior and prey specialization on dangerous prey, which has been proposed as an explanation for advanced cognitive ability. As this large group has a diversity of habitats in which it lives, diverse predatory behavior, as well as some "social" species, we argue that salticids are ideal candidates for comparative studies to explore the myriad selection factors acting upon a group well known for their cognitive prowess, despite having miniature brains.
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8
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Winsor AM, Pagoti GF, Daye DJ, Cheries EW, Cave KR, Jakob EM. What gaze direction can tell us about cognitive processes in invertebrates. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 564:43-54. [PMID: 33413978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Most visually guided animals shift their gaze using body movements, eye movements, or both to gather information selectively from their environments. Psychological studies of eye movements have advanced our understanding of perceptual and cognitive processes that mediate visual attention in humans and other vertebrates. However, much less is known about how these processes operate in other organisms, particularly invertebrates. We here make the case that studies of invertebrate cognition can benefit by adding precise measures of gaze direction. To accomplish this, we briefly review the human visual attention literature and outline four research themes and several experimental paradigms that could be extended to invertebrates. We briefly review selected studies where the measurement of gaze direction in invertebrates has provided new insights, and we suggest future areas of exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Winsor
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Guilherme F Pagoti
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 321, Travessa 14, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Daniel J Daye
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Erik W Cheries
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kyle R Cave
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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9
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Powell EC, Taylor LA. Intraspecific variation in responses to aposematic prey in a jumping spider (
Phidippus regius
). Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin C. Powell
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
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10
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De Agrò M. SPiDbox: design and validation of an open-source "Skinner-box" system for the study of jumping spiders. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 346:108925. [PMID: 32896539 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Skinner-box systems are fundamental in behavioural research. They are objective, reliable and can be used to carry out procedures otherwise impossible with manual methodologies. Recently, jumping spiders have caught the interest of scientists for their remarkable cognitive abilities. However, inquiries on their learning abilities are still few, since we lacked a proper methodology capable of overcoming the inherent difficulties that this family poses when carrying out a conditioning protocol. NEW METHOD In this paper, a new, automated, open-source Skinner-box, intended for the study of jumping spiders is presented. The system is 3d printable, cheap, fully open-source; is controlled with a Raspberry Pi Zero by a Python script. Since spiders are too lightweight to activate large physical object, the SPiDbox employs photo-sensors. RESULTS To validate the methodology, 30 Phidippus regius underwent a training procedure for a simple discrimination task to validate the effectiveness of the system. The spiders managed to learn the task, establishing the effectiveness of the SPiDbox. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS This automated training appears to be more reliable and effective than traditional methodologies. Moreover, its highly scalable, as many SPiDboxes could be used in parallel. CONCLUSIONS The SPiDbox appears to be an effective system to train jumping spiders, opening up the possibility to study learning in increasingly more complex tasks, possibly extending our understanding of jumping spiders' cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo De Agrò
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy; Esapolis' Living Insects Museum, Padua, Italy.
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11
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Winsor AM, Ihle M, Taylor LA. Methods for independently manipulating palatability and color in small insect prey. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231205. [PMID: 32255810 PMCID: PMC7138310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the psychology of predators shapes the defenses of colorful aposematic prey has been a rich area of inquiry, with emphasis on hypothesis-driven experiments that independently manipulate color and palatability in prey to examine predator responses. Most of these studies focus on avian predators, despite calls to consider more taxonomically diverse predators. This taxonomic bias leaves gaps in our knowledge about the generalizability of current theory. Here we have adapted tools that have been successfully used with bird predators and scaled them down and tested them with smaller predators (Habronattus jumping spiders) and small insect prey (termites, milkweed bug nymphs, pinhead crickets, fruit flies). Specifically, we test (1) the application of denatonium benzoate (DB) to the surface of live termites, crickets, and fruit flies, and (2) the effectiveness of manipulating the palatability of milkweed bug nymphs through diet. We also test the effectiveness of combining these palatability manipulations with various color manipulations. Across several experiments, we confirm that our palatability manipulations are not detectable to the spiders before they attack (i.e., they do not produce aversive odors that spiders avoid), and show that unpalatable prey are indeed quickly rejected and spiders do not habituate to the taste with experience. We also investigate limitations of these techniques by assessing possible unintended effects on prey behavior and the risk of contact contamination when using DB-treated prey in experiments. While similar tools have been used to manipulate color and palatability with avian predators and relatively large insect prey, we show how these techniques can be effectively adapted for use with small invertebrate predators and prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M. Winsor
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Malika Ihle
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
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12
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Havlikova M, Bosakova T, Petschenka G, Cabala R, Exnerova A, Bosakova Z. Analysis of defensive secretion of a milkweed bug Lygaeus equestris by 1D GC-MS and GC×GC-MS: sex differences and host-plant effect. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3092. [PMID: 32080314 PMCID: PMC7033152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60056-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The composition of defensive secretion produced by metathoracic scent glands was analysed in males and females of the milkweed bug Lygaeus equestris (Heteroptera) using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). The bugs were raised either on cardenolide-containing Adonis vernalis or on control sunflower seeds in order to determine whether the possibility to sequester cardenolides from their host plants would affect the composition of defensive scent-gland secretion. Profiles of the composition of defensive secretions of males and females raised on sunflower were closely similar, with predominant presence of (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-octen-1-ol, decanal and 3-octen-1-ol acetate. The secretion of bugs raised on A. vernalis was more sexually dimorphic, and some chemicals e.g. (E,E)-2,4-hexadienyl acetate and 2-phenylethyl acetate were dominant in males, but absent in females. Compared to bugs from sunflower, the scent-gland secretion of bugs raised on A. vernalis was characterized by lower overall intensity of the peaks obtained for detected chemicals and by absence of some chemicals that have supposedly antipredatory function ((E)-2-hexenal, (E)-4-oxo-hex-2-enal, 2,4-octadienal). The results suggest that there might be a trade-off between the sequestration of defensive chemicals from host plants and their synthesis in metathoracic scent-glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Havlikova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Bosakova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Georg Petschenka
- Department of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Radomir Cabala
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Toxicology Department, Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Zuzana Bosakova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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13
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Raška J, Krajíček J, Bosáková Z, Štys P, Exnerová A. Larvae of pyrrhocorid true bugs are not to spiders’ taste: putative Müllerian mimicry. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Adults and larvae of a true bug, Scantius aegyptius (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae), closely resemble sympatric firebugs, Pyrrhocoris apterus, and probably form a mimetic relationship with the latter species. Scantius aegyptius adults, although producing a secretion atypical of true bugs, are to some extent chemically protected against predators. In this study, we analysed the composition and function of the larval secretion in S. aegyptius, and investigated the mimetic relationship between larvae of S. aegyptius and P. apterus. The main component of the larval secretion in S. aegyptius is 2-heptanol, a chemical not known to function in anti-predatory defence, followed by (E)-2-octenal, a common defensive chemical of true bugs. When larvae of both species were presented to jumping spiders (Evarcha arcuata), S. aegyptius was slightly less well protected than P. apterus, but the spiders behaved towards the two species in a similar way: they quickly learned to avoid the bugs, but usually attacked them again on the second day. The spiders also generalized their learned avoidance from one true bug species to the other (with only slight asymmetry favouring S. aegyptius), suggesting that the bugs’ mimetic relationship is most probably Müllerian, being advantageous to both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Krajíček
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Bosáková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Štys
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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14
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Aguilar-Arguello S, Gerhard D, Nelson XJ. Distance assessment of detours by jumping spiders. Curr Zool 2019; 66:263-273. [PMID: 32440287 PMCID: PMC7234261 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
To take an indirect route (detour) in order to reach a specific target requires complex cognitive processes. Yet more demanding, from the cognitive point of view, is when the goal is only visible at the beginning of the detour. In spiders from the family Salticidae, vision is a key sensory modality mediating navigation and prey search. Their acute vision allows them to perform complicated detours, possibly as a consequence of the multitude of potential routes in their typically complex 3-dimensional habitats. We used a 4-route choice test, in which routes differed in being either short or long and in the presence or absence of a lure of a prey item, to investigate route assessment in 2 salticid species, Trite planiceps and Marpissa marina. Although both species showed evidence of motivation to follow lured-routes, judging by the number of times they re-oriented toward them while detouring, we found that Trite chose short routes in preference to long routes, but did not prefer the lured-routes. In contrast, Marpissa exhibited random route choice, although it oriented toward lured-routes more often than control routes (lure absent). Our results suggest that decision-making processes about which route to take occurs before embarking on a route, but this is cognitively challenging. Spiders exhibited cognitive limitations in which the lack of visibility of the goal affected success. However, the severity of cognitive limitations depended on species. We suggest that variability in spatial ability across the Salticidae may be related to the habitat complexity inhabited by each species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Aguilar-Arguello
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Gerhard
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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15
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Aguilar-Argüello S, Gerhard D, Nelson XJ. Risk assessment and the use of novel shortcuts in spatial detouring tasks in jumping spiders. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractSelection on individuals that incorporate risk to quickly and accurately make a priori navigational assessments may lead to increased spatial ability. Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) are characterized by their highly acute vision, which mediates many behaviors, including prey capture and navigation. When moving to a specific goal (prey, nest, a potential mate, etc.), salticids rely on visual cues and spatial memory to orient in 3-dimensional space. Salticid spatial ability has been studied in homing and detour tasks, with Portia being considered one of the most skillful genera in terms of spatial ability in the family. Commonly living in complex environments, salticids are likely to encounter a wide variety of routes that could lead to a goal, and, as selection favors individuals that can accurately make assessments, they may be able to assess alternative route distances to select the most efficient route. Here, we tested whether 2 salticid species (Portia fimbriata and Trite planiceps) can discriminate and assess between different available routes by their length, and riskiness to escape from a stressful scenario. Results suggest that while Portia is more likely to choose the easiest and shortest escape routes, Trite is faster in both decision making about which route to take, and to escape. However, some individuals were able to use novel shortcuts instead of the routes expected, with Portia containing a higher proportion of shortcut-takers than Trite. These differences in spatial ability seem to correspond with the environmental complexity inhabited by each species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Gerhard
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Powell EC, Cook C, Coco J, Brock M, Holian LA, Taylor LA. Prey colour biases in jumping spiders (
Habronattus brunneus
) differ across populations. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin C. Powell
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida
- School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Collette Cook
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Jeffrey Coco
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Michelle Brock
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Lauren A. Holian
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida
- Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville Florida
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17
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18
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Bramer C, Schweizer C, Dobler S. Cardenolide-defended milkweed bugs do not evoke learning inNephila senegalensisspiders. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Bramer
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut; Georg-August-Universität; Göttingen Germany
- Institut für Zoologie; Universität Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | | | - Susanne Dobler
- Institut für Zoologie; Universität Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
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19
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Mitchell MD, Crane AL, Bairos-Novak KR, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP. Olfactory cues of habitats facilitate learning about landscapes of fear. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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20
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Lichtenstein JLL, Rice HK, Pruitt JN. Personality variation in two predator species does not impact prey species survival or plant damage in staged mesocosms. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2487-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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21
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Aguilar-Argüello S, Díaz-Castelazo C, Rao D. A predator's response to a prey's deterrent signal changes with experience. Behav Processes 2018; 151:81-88. [PMID: 29567401 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prey signalling to predators is an attempt to divert or nullify an attack even before it occurs. If these signals are backed up by a potent defence, then the likelihood of the predators learning to avoid them is high. In species that use deceptive signalling, predators could learn to overcome such a display and diminish the efficacy of the display. We studied the effect of experience on the efficacy of tephritid fly displays against jumping spiders. We compared attacks on displaying flies, non-displaying flies, and two other prey species (a facile prey and a prey with a defence). Spiders were more likely to attack displaying flies over time. However, spiders that were familiar with the fly appearance but not display also increased their attack rates. We suggest that spiders attend to both components of the fly display, i.e. motion and appearance, but with motion cues taking priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Aguilar-Argüello
- Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Apartado Postal 63, CP 91000, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - C Díaz-Castelazo
- Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Apartado Postal 63, CP 91000, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - D Rao
- Inbioteca, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Culturas Veracruzanas No.101, Col. E. Zapata, CP 91090, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
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22
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Carle T, Horiwaki R, Hurlbert A, Yamawaki Y. Aversive Learning in the Praying Mantis ( Tenodera aridifolia), a Sit and Wait Predator. JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR 2018; 31:158-175. [PMID: 29628622 PMCID: PMC5882761 DOI: 10.1007/s10905-018-9665-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Animals learn to associate sensory cues with the palatability of food in order to avoid bitterness in food (a common sign of toxicity). Associations are important for active foraging predators to avoid unpalatable prey and to invest energy in searching for palatable prey only. However, it has been suggested that sit-and-wait predators might rely on the opportunity that palatable prey approach them by chance: the most efficient strategy could be to catch every available prey and then decide whether to ingest them or not. In the present study, we investigated avoidance learning in a sit-and-wait predator, the praying mantis (Tenodera aridifolia). To examine the effects of conspicuousness and novelty of prey on avoidance learning, we used three different prey species: mealworms (novel prey), honeybees (novel prey with conspicuous signals) and crickets (familiar prey). We sequentially presented the prey species in pairs and made one of them artificially bitter. In the absence of bitterness, the mantises consumed bees and crickets more frequently than mealworms. When the prey were made bitter, the mantises still continued to attack bitter crickets as expected. However, they reduced their attacks on bitter mealworms more than on bitter bees. This contrasts with the fact that conspicuous signals (e.g. coloration in bees) facilitate avoidance learning in active foraging predators. Surprisingly, we found that the bitter bees were totally rejected after an attack whereas bitter mealworms were partially eaten (~35%). Our results highlight the fact that the mantises might maintain a selection pressure on bees, and perhaps on aposematic species in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Carle
- Present Address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395 Japan
- Present Address: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
| | - Rio Horiwaki
- Present Address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395 Japan
| | - Anya Hurlbert
- Present Address: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
| | - Yoshifumi Yamawaki
- Present Address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395 Japan
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23
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Raška J, Štys P, Exnerová A. How variation in prey aposematic signals affects avoidance learning, generalization and memory of a salticid spider. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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24
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Place avoidance learning and memory in a jumping spider. Anim Cogn 2016; 20:275-284. [PMID: 27796659 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1048-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Using a conditioned passive place avoidance paradigm, we investigated the relative importance of three experimental parameters on learning and memory in a salticid, Servaea incana. Spiders encountered an aversive electric shock stimulus paired with one side of a two-sided arena. Our three parameters were the ecological relevance of the visual stimulus, the time interval between trials and the time interval before test. We paired electric shock with either a black or white visual stimulus, as prior studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that S. incana prefer dark 'safe' regions to light ones. We additionally evaluated the influence of two temporal features (time interval between trials and time interval before test) on learning and memory. Spiders exposed to the shock stimulus learned to associate shock with the visual background cue, but the extent to which they did so was dependent on which visual stimulus was present and the time interval between trials. Spiders trained with a long interval between trials (24 h) maintained performance throughout training, whereas spiders trained with a short interval (10 min) maintained performance only when the safe side was black. When the safe side was white, performance worsened steadily over time. There was no difference between spiders tested after a short (10 min) or long (24 h) interval before test. These results suggest that the ecological relevance of the stimuli used and the duration of the interval between trials can influence learning and memory in jumping spiders.
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25
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Kozak EC, Uetz GW. Cross-modal integration of multimodal courtship signals in a wolf spider. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:1173-1181. [PMID: 27557952 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cross-modal integration, i.e., cognitive binding of information transmitted in more than one signal mode, is important in animal communication, especially in complex, noisy environments in which signals of many individuals may overlap. Males of the brush-legged wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) use multimodal communication (visual and vibratory signals) in courtship. Because females may be courted by multiple males at the same time, they must evaluate co-occurring male signals originating from separate locations. Moreover, due to environmental complexity, individual components of male signals may be occluded, altering detection of sensory modes by females. We used digital multimodal playback to investigate the effect of spatial and temporal disparity of visual and vibratory components of male courtship signals on female mate choice. Females were presented with male courtship signals with components that varied in spatial location or temporal synchrony. Females responded to spatially disparate signal components separated by ≥90° as though they were separate sources, but responded to disparate signals separated by ≤45° as though they originated from a single source. Responses were seen as evidence for cross-modal integration. Temporal disparity (asynchrony) in signal modes also affected female receptivity. Females responded more to male signals when visual and vibratory modes were in synchrony than either out-of-synch or interleaved/alternated. These findings are consistent with those seen in both humans and other vertebrates and provide insight into how animals overcome communication challenges inherent in a complex environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Kozak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210006, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA
| | - George W Uetz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210006, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA.
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26
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Jakob EM, Long SM. How (not) to train your spider: successful and unsuccessful methods for studying learning. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2015.1127263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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28
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Taylor LA, Amin Z, Maier EB, Byrne KJ, Morehouse NI. Flexible color learning in an invertebrate predator:Habronattusjumping spiders can learn to prefer or avoid red during foraging. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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29
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Peckmezian T, Taylor PW. A virtual reality paradigm for the study of visually mediated behaviour and cognition in spiders. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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30
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Electric shock for aversion training of jumping spiders: Towards an arachnid model of avoidance learning. Behav Processes 2015; 113:99-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Taylor LA, Maier EB, Byrne KJ, Amin Z, Morehouse NI. Colour use by tiny predators: jumping spiders show colour biases during foraging. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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32
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Bodyguard manipulation in a multipredator context: Different processes, same effect. Behav Processes 2013; 99:81-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Revised: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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33
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The role of learning in risk-avoidance strategies during spider-ant interactions. Anim Cogn 2013; 17:185-95. [PMID: 23771493 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0651-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Revised: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive abilities used by arthropods, particularly predators, when interacting in a natural context have been poorly studied. Two neotropical sympatric predators, the golden silk spider Nephila clavipes and the ectatommine ant Ectatomma tuberculatum, were observed in field conditions where their interactions occurred regularly due to the exploitation of the same patches of vegetation. Repeated presentations of E. tuberculatum workers ensnared in their web triggered a progressive decrease in the capture response of N. clavipes. All the spiders that stopped trying to catch the ant on the second and/or third trial were individuals that had been bitten during a previous trial. Behavioural tests in natural field conditions showed that after a single confrontation with ant biting, spiders were able to discriminate this kind of prey more quickly from a defenceless prey (fruit flies) and to selectively and completely suppress their catching response. This one-trial aversive learning was still effective after 24 h. Likewise, E. tuberculatum workers entangled once on a N. clavipes web and having succeeded in escaping, learned to escape more quickly, breaking through the web by preferentially cutting spiral threads (sticky traps) rather than radial threads (stronger structural unsticky components) or pursuing the cutting of radials but doing it more quickly. Both strategies, based on a one-trial learning capability, obviously minimize the number of physical encounters between the two powerful opponents and may enhance their fitness by diminishing the risk of potential injuries resulting from predatory interactions.
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35
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Spano L, Long SM, Jakob EM. Secondary eyes mediate the response to looming objects in jumping spiders (Phidippus audax, Salticidae). Biol Lett 2012; 8:949-51. [PMID: 23075526 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Some species have sensory systems divided into subsystems with morphologically different sense organs that acquire different types of information within the same modality. Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) have eight eyes. Four eyes are directed anteriorly to view objects in front of the spider: a pair of principal eyes track targets with their movable retinae, while the immobile anterior lateral (AL) eyes have a larger field of view and lower resolution. To test whether the principal eyes, the AL eyes, or both together mediate the response to looming stimuli, we presented spiders with a video of a solid black circle that rapidly expanded (loomed) or contracted (receded). Control spiders and spiders with their principal eyes masked were significantly more likely to back away from the looming stimulus than were spiders with their AL eyes masked. Almost no individuals backed away from the receding stimulus. Our results show that the AL eyes alone mediate the loom response to objects anterior to the spider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Spano
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Tobin Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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36
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BOHLIN TITTI, GAMBERALE-STILLE GABRIELLA, MERILAITA SAMI, EXNEROVÁ ALICE, ŠTYS PAVEL, TULLBERG BIRGITTAS. The detectability of the colour pattern in the aposematic firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus: an image-based experiment with human ‘predators’. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01834.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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37
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Dalesman S, Lukowiak K. How stress alters memory in 'smart' snails. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32334. [PMID: 22384220 PMCID: PMC3286460 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive ability varies within species, but whether this variation alters the manner in which memory formation is affected by environmental stress is unclear. The great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, is commonly used as model species in studies of learning and memory. The majority of those studies used a single laboratory strain (i.e. the Dutch strain) originating from a wild population in the Netherlands. However, our recent work has identified natural populations that demonstrate significantly enhanced long-term memory (LTM) formation relative to the Dutch strain following operant conditioning of aerial respiratory behaviour. Here we assess how two populations with enhanced memory formation (i.e. ‘smart’ snails), one from Canada (Trans Canada 1: TC1) and one from the U.K. (Chilton Moor: CM) respond to ecologically relevant stressors. In control conditions the Dutch strain forms memory lasting 1–3 h following a single 0.5 h training session in our standard calcium pond water (80 mg/l [Ca2+]), whereas the TC1 and CM populations formed LTM lasting 5+ days following this training regime. Exposure to low environmental calcium pond water (20 mg/l [Ca2+]), which blocks LTM in the Dutch strain, reduced LTM retention to 24 h in the TC1 and CM populations. Crowding (20 snails in 100 ml) immediately prior to training blocks LTM in the Dutch strain, and also did so in TC1 and CM populations. Therefore, snails with enhanced cognitive ability respond to these ecologically relevant stressors in a similar manner to the Dutch strain, but are more robust at forming LTM in a low calcium environment. Despite the two populations (CM and TC1) originating from different continents, LTM formation was indistinguishable in both control and stressed conditions. This indicates that the underlying mechanisms controlling cognitive differences among populations may be highly conserved in L. stagnalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dalesman
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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38
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Long SM, Lewis S, Jean-Louis L, Ramos G, Richmond J, Jakob EM. Firefly flashing and jumping spider predation. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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39
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Dalesman S, Rundle SD, Lukowiak K. Microgeographical variability in long-term memory formation in the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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40
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Growth rate and retention of learned predator cues by juvenile rainbow trout: faster-growing fish forget sooner. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1140-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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NELSON DAVIDWM, CROSSLAND MICHAELR, SHINE RICHARD. Behavioural responses of native predators to an invasive toxic prey species. AUSTRAL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02187.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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43
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45
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VanderSal ND, Hebets EA. Cross-modal effects on learning: a seismic stimulus improves color discrimination learning in a jumping spider. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 210:3689-95. [PMID: 17921169 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.009126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The production of multimodal signals during animal displays is extremely common, and the function of such complex signaling has received much attention. Currently, the most frequently explored hypotheses regarding the evolution and function of complex signaling focus on the signal and/or signaler, or the signaling environment, while much less attention has been placed on the receivers. However, recent studies using vertebrates suggest that receiver psychology (e.g. learning and memory) may play a large role in the evolution of complex signaling. To date, the influence of multimodal cues on receiver learning and/or memory has not been studied in invertebrates. Here, we test the hypothesis that the presence of a seismic (vibratory) stimulus improves color discrimination learning in the jumping spider Habronattus dossenus. Using a heat-aversion learning experiment, we found evidence for a cross-modal effect on color learning. Over a series of training trials, individuals exposed to a seismic stimulus jumped onto the heated color less frequently and remained there for less time than did individuals not exposed to a seismic stimulus. In addition, in a final no-heat test trial, individuals from the seismic-present treatment were more likely to avoid the previously heated color than were individuals from the seismic-absent treatment. This is the first study to demonstrate a cross-modal influence on learning in an invertebrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D VanderSal
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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46
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Prudic KL, Oliver JC, Sperling FAH. The signal environment is more important than diet or chemical specialization in the evolution of warning coloration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:19381-6. [PMID: 18029450 PMCID: PMC2148298 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0705478104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aposematic coloration, or warning coloration, is a visual signal that acts to minimize contact between predator and unprofitable prey. The conditions favoring the evolution of aposematic coloration remain largely unidentified. Recent work suggests that diet specialization and resultant toxicity may play a role in facilitating the evolution and persistence of warning coloration. Using a phylogenetic approach, we investigated the evolution of larval warning coloration in the genus Papilio (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Our results indicate that there are at least four independent origins of aposematic larval coloration within Papilio. Controlling for phylogenetic relatedness among Papilio taxa, we found no evidence supporting the hypothesis that either diet specialization or chemical specialization facilitated the origin of aposematic larvae. However, there was a significant relationship between the signal environment and the evolution of aposematic larvae. Specifically, Papilio lineages feeding on herbaceous or narrow-leaved plants, regardless of the plants' taxonomic affiliation, were more likely to evolve aposematic larvae than were lineages feeding only on trees/shrubs or broad-leaved plants. These results demonstrate that factors other than diet specialization, such as the signal environment of predator-prey interactions, may play a large role in the initial evolution and persistence of aposematic coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen L Prudic
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Interdisciplinary Program in Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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