Araneophagic jumping spiders discriminate between the draglines of familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics

Abstract

Three species of jumping spiders – Portia fimbriata, P. labiata and P. schultzi – were tested for ability to distinguish between draglines of familiar versus unfamiliar potential rivals of the same species and sex, where the familiar rival was an individual that had been victorious in an earlier agonistic interaction. In choice tests, P. labiata females spent more time on the side of the cage covered by draglines of the unfamiliar conspecific female. However, there was no evidence of discrimination by females of the other two species or by P. labiata males. Frequency of cannibalism is suggested as the ultimate cause of variation in reaction to familiar versus unfamiliar draglines, as P. labiata females are known from other studies to be especially cannibalistic.