Habronattus pyrrithrix

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Habronattus pyrrithrix
Habronattus pyrrithrix 01.jpg
Male from La Habra, California
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Salticinae
Genus: Habronattus
Species:
H. pyrrithrix
Binomial name
Habronattus pyrrithrix
(Chamberlin, 1924)
Male pedipalp Habronattus pyrrithrix pedipalp.jpg
Male pedipalp

Habronattus pyrrithrix is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is found in the southwestern United States and western Mexico. [2] [5]

A key predator is the larger jumping spider Phidippus californicus .

The males have bold black stripes, but the females have uniform coloration. The stripes are not known to confer any advantage. [6]

Habitat and Diet

Habronattus pyrrithrix is found in grassy areas covered in plant material or by bodies of water. [7] [8] [9] They feed on various prey, including flies, caterpillars, aphids, and other spiders. [7] They display a color preference when foraging by avoiding yellow or red-colored prey. [7] This may be because red and yellow colors are linked with prey that are capable of utilizing chemical defenses, such as ladybugs, and may be harmful if consumed by predators. [7]

Mating and Reproduction

Sexual dimorphism

Habronattus pyrrithrix displays sexual dimorphism with respect to their size and coloration. [7] [8] [9] Females are cryptically colored with brown and grey coloration, which makes it easier for them to blend into the environment. [7] [8] [9] Females are also larger than males, posing a risk for males during courtship as they can easily become victims of cannibalism. [9] [10] [11] Male H. pyrrithrix display bright condition-dependent coloration with distinct red faces and green legs. [7] [8] [9] The condition-dependent colors depend on the diet of the males, with higher-quality diets resulting in brighter coloration. [8] This bright coloration on the males also helps signify their quality [7] [9] and age [12] to females during courtship. Males will court whatever females they encounter, which can lead to aggression by females from other species. [10] The colors improve species recognition so that males can present themselves to and be recognized by females of the same species. [9] [10] [13] Sexual selection favors the distinct coloration and morphologies found in males and drives the diversification of this species from others in the genus. [7] [9] [11] While the condition-dependent coloration of males is a beneficial signifier of their quality, they do not always increase mating success. [13] The red coloration may play a bigger role in species recognition, and it is other traits, such as body size or condition, that females prefer; further understanding of why some traits are preferred by females over others during mate choice is required. [13]

Courtship

H. pyrrithrix males use multimodal displays [9] [11] [14] when courting females, including complex movements, vibrations, and signals on top of their distinct coloration. [7] [9] [13] Courtship occurs in a range of environments, from open to shaded areas. [9] The advantage the males' bright colors provide varies with the environment, as courtship success improves when males display their colors in the sun. [9] When courting in more shaded areas, the red coloration of the males' faces may not be as prominent, thus requiring females to assess males via male body size or their seismic signals/vibrations. [9] [11] During their complex courtship displays, male H. pyrrithrix approaches females with zig-zag movements and waving legs while closing the distance between them. [13] They make sure to stay front-facing with the females in order to keep their attention. [15] Females tend to move around during a male's courtship display, which may be why males rely on more than just visual displays to capture a mate's attention. [15] Males then produce substrate-borne vibrations, [7] [9] [13] along with leg flicks, by striking their abdomen against the substrate they are on, which produces vibrations or seismic signals sensed by the females. [14] If females seem receptive and safe to approach, males then mount and engage in copulation. [13] [14] The combination of visual and substrate-borne displays increases male reproductive success and decreases cannibalism by unimpressed females. [9] [11] [14] Sexual cannibalism in this species is a form of sexual conflict in which the males do not gain any benefits from being eaten by the females. Only the females benefit from this conflict as they are able to gain a source of nutrition, while the males cannot pass on their genome. Therefore, it is beneficial to the males to successfully court females so that they are receptive to them. In some instances, females may show higher aggression toward the males they deem are in better condition; these aggressive behaviors could be another way in which females assess the quality of the male and their ability to overcome the risk that comes with mating. [13] This combination of displays also reduces the courtship time, allowing the individuals to choose mates quickly and spend less time exposed to the risk of predation. [11]

Predator Deception

Males risk predation when they are searching for mates or engage in courtship behaviors. [10] Male Habronattus pyrrithrix spend more time than females when moving around their environment and finding an individual to mate with. [16] Accompanied by their bright coloration, this increased movement in open habitats places males at a higher risk of gaining predator attention. [16] Males combat this risk with their clearly visible dorsal patterns. [16] These patterns are not used for courtship displays and are not bright in coloration. [16] H. pyrrithrix males display these dorsal patterns in addition to leg-waving to mimic the antennas of wasps or bees and deceive predators. [16] The higher rates of movement in males versus females preserve the evolution of cryptic dorsal coloration in both individuals. [16] Further studies on non-display colorations and predator deception in Habronattus could provide a look into the evolution of diverse color patterns.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumping spider</span> Family of spiders

Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family Salticidae. As of 2019, this family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Although they normally move unobtrusively and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats or crossing long gaps. Both their book lungs and tracheal system are well-developed, and they use both systems. Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes, with the anterior median pair being particularly large.

<i>Habronattus</i> Genus of spiders

Habronattus is a genus in the family Salticidae. Most species are native to North America. They are commonly referred to as paradise spiders due to their colorful courtship ornaments and complex dances, similar to birds-of-paradise. Males display intricate coloration, while females are cryptic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Display (zoology)</span> Set of ritualized behaviours in animals

Display behaviour is a set of ritualized behaviours that enable an animal to communicate to other animals about specific stimuli. Such ritualized behaviours can be visual, but many animals depend on a mixture of visual, audio, tactical and chemical signals. Evolution has tailored these stereotyped behaviours to allow animals to communicate both conspecifically and interspecifically which allows for a broader connection in different niches in an ecosystem. It is connected to sexual selection and survival of the species in various ways. Typically, display behaviour is used for courtship between two animals and to signal to the female that a viable male is ready to mate. In other instances, species may make territorial displays, in order to preserve a foraging or hunting territory for its family or group. A third form is exhibited by tournament species in which males will fight in order to gain the 'right' to breed. Animals from a broad range of evolutionary hierarchies avail of display behaviours - from invertebrates such as the simple jumping spider to the more complex vertebrates like the harbour seal.

<i>Portia labiata</i> Species of spider

Portia labiata is a jumping spider found in Sri Lanka, India, southern China, Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines. In this medium-sized jumping spider, the front part is orange-brown and the back part is brownish. The conspicuous main eyes provide vision more acute than a cat's during the day and 10 times more acute than a dragonfly's, and this is essential in P. labiata′s navigation, hunting and mating.

<i>Phidippus audax</i> Species of arachnid (type of jumping spider)

Phidippus audax, the bold jumper or bold jumping spider, is a common species of spider belonging to the genus Phidippus, a group of jumping spiders easily identified by their large eyes and their iridescent chelicerae. Like all jumping spiders, they have excellent stereoscopic vision that aids them in stalking prey and facilitates visual communication with potential mates during courting. Bold jumping spiders are native to North America and have been introduced to Hawaii, Nicobar Islands, Azores, and the Netherlands. They are typically black with a distinct white triangle on their abdomen.

<i>Maratus</i> Genus of spiders

Maratus is a spider genus of the family Salticidae. These spiders are commonly referred to as peacock spiders due to the males' colorful and usually iridescent patterns on the upper surface of the abdomen often enhanced with lateral flaps or bristles, which they display during courtship. Females lack these bright colors, being cryptic in appearance. In at least one species, Maratus vespertilio, the expansion of the flaps also occurs during ritualised contests between males. The male display and courtship dance are complex, involving visual and vibratory signals.

<i>Evarcha culicivora</i> Species of spider

Evarcha culicivora is a species of jumping spider found only around Lake Victoria in Kenya and Uganda. At maturity, E. culicivora spiders have an average size of 5 mm for both males and females. The range in size for either sex is quite small, with females being only slightly larger on average.

<i>Zygiella x-notata</i> Species of spider

Zygiella x-notata, sometimes known as the missing sector orb weaver or the silver-sided sector spider, is a spider species in the family Araneidae. They are solitary spiders, residing in daily spun orb webs. Z. x-notata is a member of the genus Zygiella, the orb-weaving spiders. The adult female is easily recognized by the characteristic leaf-like mark on her posterior opisthosoma, caudal to the yellow-brown cephalothorax.

<i>Maratus volans</i> Species of spider

Maratus volans is a species in the jumping spider family (Salticidae), belonging to the genus Maratus. These spiders are native to certain areas in Australia and occupy a wide distribution of habitats. They have a specialized visual system that allows them to see the full visible spectrum as well as in the ultraviolet-range; this helps them detect and pursue prey. Males of this species are characterized by their colourful abdomen flaps that are used to attract females during courtship.

<i>Saitis barbipes</i> Species of spider

Saitis barbipes is a common jumping spider found in the Mediterranean region.

<i>Cosmophasis umbratica</i> Species of spider

Cosmophasis umbratica is a species of jumping spider found in South and Southeast Asia. They are members of the family Salticidae and the genus Cosmophasis. They are commonly spotted on green vegetation. C. umbratica shows extreme dimorphism when viewed under UV light: males reflect UV on all body parts that are displayed during intraspecific interaction, while females and juveniles do not reflect UV at all. It seems that C. umbratica uses this in sexual signaling. A similar phenomenon is found in some butterflies. For example, several species of Colias and Gonepteryx, both of the family Pieridae, also display sexual signaling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtship display</span> Communication to start a relationship with someone or to get sexual contact

A courtship display is a set of display behaviors in which an animal, usually a male, attempts to attract a mate; the mate exercises choice, so sexual selection acts on the display. These behaviors often include ritualized movement ("dances"), vocalizations, mechanical sound production, or displays of beauty, strength, or agonistic ability.

<i>Anasaitis canosus</i> Species of spider

Anasaitis canosus, previously of the genus Corythalia, is a small jumping spider that can typically be found atop leaf-litter or man-made structures such as fences and exterior walls. This species is more commonly known as the twin-flagged jumping spider due to the two pennant shaped markings on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax. Typical of the genus Anasaitis, this species has iridescent setae ("scales") which may appear white, green or pink which create the "flags" as well as patches on the male pedipalps used in courtship and intraspecific signaling. This species is roughly 5 to 6 mm in length. A. canosus ranges from Mexico to South Carolina along the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Phidippus clarus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus clarus, also known as the brilliant jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider found in old fields throughout eastern North America. It often waits upside down near the top of a plant, which may be useful for detecting prey, and then quickly jumps down before the prey can escape. The spider is one of 60 species in the genus Phidippus, and one of about 5,000 in the Salticidae, a family that accounts for about 10% of all spider species. P. clarus is a predator, mostly consuming insects, other spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods.

<i>Portia fimbriata</i> Species of spider

Portia fimbriata, sometimes called the fringed jumping spider, is a jumping spider found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Adult females have bodies 6.8 to 10.5 millimetres long, while those of adult males are 5.2 to 6.5 millimetres long. Both sexes have a generally dark brown carapace, reddish brown chelicerae ("fangs"), a brown underside, dark brown palps with white hairs, and dark brown abdomens with white spots on the upper side. Both sexes have fine, faint markings and soft fringes of hair, and the legs are spindly and fringed. However, specimens from New Guinea and Indonesia have orange-brown carapaces and yellowish abdomens. In all species of the genus Portia, the abdomen distends when the spider is well fed or producing eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual selection in spiders</span>

Sexual selection in spiders shows how sexual selection explains the evolution of phenotypic traits in spiders. Male spiders have many complex courtship rituals and have to avoid being eaten by the females, with the males of most species surviving only a few matings and consequently having short life-spans.

Maratus vespa is a species of the peacock spider genus, Maratus, characterised by its distinctive courtship display. The male spiders are characterized by a bright abdomen, lateral flaps, and an elongated third pair of legs. When attempting to attract a mate, the male spider will raise its colourful abdomen and elongated third pair of legs and wave them, along with extending its lateral flaps. This complex display of courtship is analogous to that of a peacock, hence the common name of this spider species.

<i>Habronattus dossenus</i> Species of spider

Habronattus dossenus is a species of jumping spider. It is found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. They are most well known for their unique dynamic signals such as scraping, thumping, buzzing, and/or buzzing. It has been shown that there is a strong correlation between their seismic (vibration) signals and motion signals, suggesting that H. dossenus utilize inter-signal interactions to create integrative communication. These seismic signals can range from rapid phasic sounds that are less than 200 milliseconds long to long phrases lasting multiple seconds.

The sensory trap hypothesis describes an evolutionary idea that revolves around mating behavior and female mate choice. It is a model of female preference and male sexual trait evolution through what is known as sensory exploitation. Sensory exploitation, or a sensory trap is an event that occurs in nature where male members of a species perform behaviors or display visual traits that resemble a non-sexual stimulus which females are responsive to. This tricks females into engaging with the males, thus creating more mating opportunities for males. What makes it a sensory trap is that these female responses evolved in a non-sexual context, and the male produced stimulus exploits the female response which would not otherwise occur without the mimicked stimulus.

<i>Maevia intermedia</i> Species of spider

Maevia intermedia is one of eight species of Salticidae, or jumping spider, in the genus Maevia, and is native to North America. This species was originally reported by American Zoologist Robert D. Barnes in 1955 as a needed distinguishment between the similar-looking Maevia species, especially those found in the Americas.

References

  1. ↑ "Habronattus pyrrithrix Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  2. 1 2 "Habronattus pyrrithrix Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  3. ↑ "Habronattus pyrrithrix Overview". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  4. ↑ "NMBE World Spider Catalog, Habronattus pyrrithrix" . Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  5. ↑ Griswold, Charles E. (1987). "A revision of the jumping spider genus Habronattus F. O. P.-Cambridge (Araneae; Salticidae), with Phenetic and Cladistic Analyses". University of California Publications in Entomology. 107: 1–344.
  6. ↑ Grover, Natalie (23 June 2021). "Makeup fails to solve mystery of why jumping spiders have back stripes". The Guardian.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Taylor, Lisa A.; Maier, Emily B.; Byrne, Kevin J.; Amin, Zarreen; Morehouse, Nathan I. (2014-04-01). "Colour use by tiny predators: jumping spiders show colour biases during foraging". Animal Behaviour. 90: 149–157. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.025. ISSN   0003-3472.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Taylor, Lisa A.; Clark, David L.; McGraw, Kevin J. (2014). "From spiderling to senescence: ontogeny of color in the jumping spider, Habronattus pyrrithrix". The Journal of Arachnology. 42 (3): 268–276. doi:10.1636/0161-8202-42.3.268. ISSN   0161-8202. JSTOR   24365301.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Taylor, Lisa A.; McGraw, Kevin J. (2013). "Male ornamental coloration improves courtship success in a jumping spider, but only in the sun". Behavioral Ecology. 24 (4): 955–967. doi:10.1093/beheco/art011. ISSN   1465-7279.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Lisa A.; Powell, Erin C.; McGraw, Kevin J. (2017-04-05). "Frequent misdirected courtship in a natural community of colorful Habronattus jumping spiders". PLOS ONE. 12 (4): e0173156. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1273156T. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173156 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   5381776 . PMID   28379968.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elias, Damian O.; Hebets, Eileen A.; Hoy, Ronald R.; Mason, Andrew C. (2005-04-01). "Seismic signals are crucial for male mating success in a visual specialist jumping spider (Araneae: Salticidae)". Animal Behaviour. 69 (4): 931–938. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.06.024. ISSN   0003-3472.
  12. ↑ Taylor, Lisa A.; Clark, David L.; McGraw, Kevin J. (2011). "Condition dependence of male display coloration in a jumping spider (Habronattus pyrrithrix)". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 65 (5): 1133–1146. doi:10.1007/s00265-010-1127-5. ISSN   0340-5443. JSTOR   41414075.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Taylor, Lisa A.; Clark, David L.; McGraw, Kevin J. (2014-07-01). "Natural variation in condition-dependent display colour does not predict male courtship success in a jumping spider". Animal Behaviour. 93: 267–278. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.005. ISSN   0003-3472.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Elias, Damian O.; Maddison, Wayne P.; Peckmezian, Christina; Girard, Madeline B.; Mason, Andrew C. (March 2012). "Orchestrating the score: complex multimodal courtship in the Habronattus coecatus group of Habronattus jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae): MULTIMODAL COURTSHIP IN HABRONATTUS". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 105 (3): 522–547. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01817.x.
  15. 1 2 Echeverri, Sebastian A; Morehouse, Nathan I; Zurek, Daniel B (2017-08-22). "Control of signaling alignment during the dynamic courtship display of a jumping spider". Behavioral Ecology. 28 (6): 1445–1453. doi:10.1093/beheco/arx107. ISSN   1045-2249.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Taylor, Lisa A.; Cook, Collette; McGraw, Kevin J. (2019-10-16). "Variation in activity rates may explain sex-specific dorsal color patterns in Habronattus jumping spiders". PLOS ONE. 14 (10): e0223015. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1423015T. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223015 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   6795386 . PMID   31618242.

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