Jumping Spiders (Habronattus clypeatus) Exhibit Substrate Preferences that Partially Maximize Vibration Transmission Efficiency

Autor: Yuheng Sun, Ambika Kamath, Erin E. Brandt, Damian O. Elias, Malcolm F. Rosenthal
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Insect Behavior. 34:151-161
ISSN: 1572-8889
0892-7553
DOI: 10.1007/s10905-021-09777-x
Popis: In animal taxa, the behavior of choosing a microhabitat determines the context in which individuals engage in all other behaviors and interactions. Microhabitat choice has particularly important implications for animal communication, because the successful transmission of information between individuals is highly context-dependent. Substrate-borne vibrations, which are commonly produced, detected, and used for communication by arthropods, are especially influenced by substrate choice because substrates vary widely in their vibration transmission properties. In this laboratory-based study, we examine vibration transmission properties of substrates commonly encountered in nature by the jumping spider Habronattus clypeatus and also examine whether these spiders exhibit a preference for particular substrates using a choice experiment. We predicted that spiders would prefer substrates that can better transmit vibratory signals. We found that leaf litter minimized the attenuation of vibratory signals, while rocks and sand sharply attenuated the signals. In behavioral trials, more spiders chose leaf litter or rocks as their first substrate over sand. Further, spiders spent more time on, and were more likely to jump to, leaf litter and rocks than sand. These results suggest that substrate preference by H. clypeatus partially matches the choice that would maximize signal transmission efficiency, indicating that the ability to communicate with conspecifics may influence these animals’ choice of microhabitat.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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