| Maratus griseus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Salticidae |
| Subfamily: | Salticinae |
| Genus: | Maratus |
| Species: | M. griseus |
| Binomial name | |
| Maratus griseus (Keyserling, 1882) | |
Maratus griseus, the white-banded house jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in Australia and New Zealand.
This species is easily identified by its prominent features as part of the genus Maratus (peacock spiders). [1] They are 2–6 mm in length, and have a rectangular or ovate abdomen, relatively short legs, and fangs or chelicerae which have a single tooth facing forward (retromarginal) and two teeth facing backward (promarginal). [1] They have a rectangular cephalothorax (or head) when seen from above, which projects above the rest of the carapace. [1] The head contains four pairs of eyes positioned in a straight horizontal row at the top of the head that wraps around the head like a halo, with each pair covering a particular visual angle. [1] This eye positioning gives the spider excellent movement-based peripheral vision. [2] [3] The frontal pair of eyes appear closer together, more developed, and significantly bigger than the other pairs. This provides the spider with excellent binocular vision and particularly good depth perception, which is vital for the strategies used by this species to hunt prey. [4]
Maratus griseus are generally brown or black, with the male more often presenting a darker colouration. [5] Males also have a bright reddish-orange band of hairs above and below their eyes and thick white hairs that cover their palps; this unusual colouration plays a vital role in mating rituals. [5] Females are typically dull brown or black with only a circular band of white hairs on the head that contrasts with their opaque colouration. [5] This band appears in a shape that can resemble a circle or "halo" around the head. [5]
This species is found in both Australia and New Zealand. [5] [6] In Australia, it is typically found in the more temperate regions including The Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. [7]
In New Zealand this species is found throughout the North Island as well as the east and west coasts of the South Island; however, it appears to be more prominent on the east coast. [5] [6]
This species is very adaptable and can be found from the seashore to the mountains of New Zealand as well as the temperate and subtropical forests of Australia, typically under leaf litter, around leaves, grass, or ferns as well as under rocks or logs. [1] [6] It is also commonly known to inhabit houses, where it can be spotted while hunting or performing its characteristic mating dances. [6] In addition, this species can occasionally be found in warmer and drier climates like the Australian shrublands and dry grasslands. [7]
This species is diurnal, mostly solitary, and has a short lifespan of approximately one year. [8] Its life cycle starts around austral Spring (December/January) when these spiders hatch and, as with other salticid species, it is possible that the young spiders may stay with their mother until shortly after their first moult. [9] However, details about the juvenile phase of this species, which typically occurs between December/January and the end of July, are limited and sightings of these spiders are less common during these times. In August, mature males start to appear more prominently, with the females emerging not long after. [8] It is at this time that the mating and accompanying mating rituals of this species occur.
This species is a member of the genus Maratus (Peacock Spiders) which is known for its complex and flamboyant mating rituals. [8] Even so, this spider has a rather unique mating behaviour when compared to other members of its genus. [5] This elaborate mating ritual begins when the male spider spots a female and proceeds with a particular mating dance; the male first stops and faces the direction of the female, then lifts his third pair of legs to signal her, raising his abdomen perpendicular to its body while swinging it from side to side. [5] Once recognized by the female, he lowers his legs and starts to approach her very cautiously with zig-zag movements, slowly attempting to circle the female while closing the distance. [5] His movement is wary, and he faces her at all times as he continues to swing his abdomen from side to side. [5] The female at this point may run away, which may happen a few times, but she allows the male to get closer after each subsequent attempt. [5] Once the male gets close enough (just a few centimetres from the female), he stops the swinging motion of his abdomen and sets it down while stretching out his front legs. Subsequently, he taps the female's legs and carapace gently with his palps and then attempts to climb on top of her to copulate. [5] [8]
If the female has already mated, she will reject the male by performing a particular dance that has only been observed in New Zealand spiders. [5] If this case, the female will counter the male's dance by lifting both her legs and abdomen in the same way as the male and copying the swinging movement of his abdomen, mirroring him. If this happens, the male will stop his advance, and, if the female continues this behaviour while approaching the male, he will run away. [5] This behaviour may send a signal to the male that the female is not interested and may become aggressive should he decide to stay. [8]
After the mating season has ended (around December), females retreat into their nest to lay and then guard their eggs until they hatch, starting the cycle anew. [8] [9]
This species also has a particular behaviour when two males are in proximity to each other during the mating season and they perform a "competing dance". [5] In this case, both males raise their third pairs of legs as well as their abdomens; however, instead of swinging their abdomens from side to side as they would to entice a female, they keep them immobile and bent to one side. In addition, the third pair of legs are kept raised as both approach each other, unlike in the mating dance where these are lowered when the male tries to close in on the female. Furthermore, in this instance, the males use both their abdomens and their third pair of legs as signalling devices while advancing toward each other, but they close the distance by zig-zagging. [5] Once the approach is complete and both males are in front of each other they spread out their third pair of legs, their palps, and their fangs such that each limb may touch the opponent's opposing appendages at the tip. When these make contact typically one male will retreat, and the confrontation will end. [5]
These spiders are not considered territorial since it has been observed that if two males are put together in an enclosure and they complete the competing behaviour detailed above, both males will ignore each other afterward and no further agonistic behaviour will occur. [5] However, if one or both males are removed from the enclosure and then put again in close proximity to each other, the competing dance is repeated. The same male that withdrew the first time will withdraw in any subsequent competing dance. [5]
Spiders in this species generally prey on other invertebrates that can be significantly larger than themselves. Observations of this predatory behaviour include various species of flies, moths, and butterflies. [10] The family Salticidae, to which this species belongs, is also known for eating other spiders as well as any insect that they are able to subdue. [11]
The hunting tactics these spiders use to catch their prey, much like their mating behaviour, are unique. Unlike other spiders, this species does not build webs to trap their prey; instead, they actively track it and ambush it. [2] [8] This is possible due to their highly developed eyesight which gives them excellent binocular vision and depth perception, as well as a near 360-degree visual awareness due to the positioning of their eye pairs, [4] [12] which allows these spiders to keep a visual lock on their prey as they hunt and pounce accurately when within striking distance. [2] Once a prey item has been located, the spider stalks it and approaches it carefully often using its web as a tool to traverse the environment (i.e. using it as a rope to climb down) until the spider is in striking distance. [2] Once in this position, the spider pounces on its prey, grabbing it with its frontal limbs and then, as with any other spider, using its fangs to inject venom and digestive enzymes which kill the prey and help break it down so the spider may injest it through its hypodermic fangs. [8] [13]
There are scant records of species-specific predatory for this species. [14] However, it is assumed that much like other Salticidae, it may be preyed upon by birds, small reptiles, and mammals as well as some other invertebrates. [14] However, one parasitoid has been recorded preying upon this spider; Pison peletieri (the mason wasp). [15] This wasp has been observed catching Maratus griseus and subsequently dragging the spider to its nest. Once the spider is trapped in the nest, the wasp parasitizes the spider by injecting it with its eggs which then hatch inside it and wasp larvae emerge consuming the spider from the inside out. [15]
As part of the Salticidae family, this species has specific adaptations to its eyes that recently have been better understood. [16] For example, unlike other spider families, they lack the light-sensitive tapeta on the lateral eyes which are made of guanine crystals and function as a mirror that reflects the light that could not be absorbed by the spider's photoreceptors back into the eyes, giving the light photons another chance to be absorbed. [16] This adaptation significantly increases light sensitivity and allows spiders to see in the dark. [16] These spiders lack this adaptation because though it can provide better light sensitivity, it reduces the spatial resolution due to an increase in the light scattering which would interfere with the clarity and acuity of the image. [16] These spiders use their eyesight as their primary sensory organ and require an accurate image to hunt their prey. [16] This may also partly explain why these spiders are mostly diurnal. [8]
Another important adaptation in the Salticidae family is the retinal muscles. [16] This adaptation is not uncommon in the principal set of eyes; however, spiders in this family have six highly-developed retinal muscles allowing them a 50-degree displacement motion on their retina which is significantly higher than in most spiders. [4] [16] This means that these spiders can focus with accuracy on objects without having to rotate their body, which gives them a significant advantage since they do not need to betray their position to prey or potential predators to focus their sight. [16]
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.
Portia is a genus of jumping spider that feeds on other spiders. They are remarkable for their intelligent hunting behaviour, which suggests that they are capable of learning and problem solving, traits normally attributed to much larger animals.
The zebra spider is a common jumping spider of the Northern Hemisphere. Their common name refers to their vivid black-and-white colouration, whilst their scientific name derives from Salticus from the Latin for “jump”, and the Greek scenicus, translating to “theatrical” or “of a decorative place,” in reference to the flashy, zebra-like coloration of the species.
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.
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.
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.
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Saitis barbipes is a common jumping spider found in the Mediterranean region.
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.
Porrhothele antipodiana, the black tunnelweb spider, is a species of mygalomorph spider that is endemic to New Zealand. It is the most common and widespread of several species in the genus Porrhothele, and is especially common in the greater Wellington region where the vagrant mature males are often encountered in or around dwellings. This species is one of New Zealand's most studied spiders. In New Zealand, the common name "tunnelweb spider" is also often used to refer to members of the genus Hexathele. Neither should be confused with their distant relatives, the highly venomous Australian funnel-web spiders.
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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.
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.
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Maratus speciosus, sometimes called the coastal peacock spider, is an Australian species of jumping spider. They are only known to inhabit the vegetation of the coastal sand dunes of southwestern Western Australia. Like other Maratus spiders, the males of the species engage in a courtship display during which they raise their third pair of legs and their abdomen, presenting their colourful opisthosomal plate to potential female partners. Accompanying their elaborate dance moves, males beat their front and back body halves together, sending vibrations that travel through the ground which the females pick up, stimulating them into receiving higher chances of a successful mate. Unlike other Maratus, however, the males of this species have a set of bright orange hairs (setae) along both edges of the opisthosoma which only become visible during this display. Maratus speciosus derives from the arachnid class with both sexes measuring about 5 mm in body length, equivalent to a pencil eraser. They are known as the smallest species of spiders. This organism is known as diurnal cursorial hunters, meaning they feed on insects. Like any other jumping spider, they rely on their keen vision and jumping actions to help them travel and spot prey at far distances.
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