Natural Prey of the Jumping SpiderPhilaeus chrysops(Araneae: Salticidae) in Different Types of Microhabitat

Abstract

Summary The natural prey of the jumping spider Philaeus chrysops (Poda, 1776) was studied in different microhabitats on Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan. The percentage of specimens of P. chrysops found while feeding was low in most microhabitats (<10%). However, on a wall near a food refuse dump the percentage of spiders found in possession of prey was significantly higher than in other microhabitats, probably related to a high abundance of potential prey at this site. Investigation has shown that P. chrysops is a polyphagous predator, with representatives of ten arthropod orders found in its diet. The primary food of P. chrysops was Diptera, which accounted for half of the total prey (50.2%). An especially high proportion of dipterans was recorded in the diet of spiders inhabiting the stone wall, where they were the only significant prey type. Diptera was also among the dominant prey groups of P. chrysops in other types of microhabitat, except for bare ground at Shagan. However, in these microhabitats som...