Display, mating, and predatory behaviour of the jumping spiderPlexippus paykulli(Araneae: Salticidae)

Abstract

Abstract Plexippus paykulli (Andouin) builds dense, structurally complex nests, which detain potential prey and sometimes assist the spider in prey capture. Males use different mating tactics depending on the female’s maturity and location (courtship versatility): visual displays if the female is mature and away from her nest, vibratory displays if she is mature and in her nest, and cohabitation if she is a subadult in her nest. Other displays occur during male-male interactions. The display repertoire is large and complex and includes elements not previously described for salticids. Copulation is unusual in this salticid species: the spiders often suspend themselves away from the substrate on the female’s dragline to mate, and copulation durations are often very short.