Captivity Induced Web Spinning of Plexippus petersi (Karsch,1878) (Jump/Zebra Spider) of Chennai, India

Abstract

Plexippus petersi, common jump/zebra spider of Chennai households, belongs to the family of Salticidae. Though spinning of a web is considered to be an inbuilt feature of almost all the spiders, certain spiders do not spin typical webs, and Plexippus petersi is one of them. The present study was undertaken, to investigate if this species of spiders can build a web when exposed to any sort of calamity. In this regard, male and female spiders were carefully handpicked, identified and maintained under laboratory condition for a period of four days. After the experimental period, the spiders were relived from captivity and were individually photographed. During the experimental period, it was quite fascinating to observe that the female of this species, secreted silk threads from her abdominal glands, and were woven in to a sheet web. The silk of the web, was sticky in nature, white in color and was able to be molded in to long filamentous structure. This web spinning behavior was only observed in the female and not in male spiders. The results of this study precisely illustrate the fact that, when triggered under the pressure of a disaster, the female spiders can weave a web and evade any uncertainty This amusing observational study, gives a deeper acumen not only about the behavioral aspect, but also explains, the probable success of these tiny arachnids, in evolution which may be probably attributed to their jumping behavior and web building strategy of the females. The female spiders, seem to weave the web, not just for escape from predators, catching the prey, and protection of egg cases but also to escape from adversaries at uncertain times.