The display behaviour ofCosmophasis micarioides(L. Koch) (Araneae, Salticidae), a jumping spider from Queensland

Abstract

Abstract Cosmophasis micarioides (L. Koch) is a highly active and ornate jumping spider that lives on the leaves of palms and other trees in tropical Queensland. It builds silk nests in crevices on leaves. Each male uses one of three different mating tactics depending on the female’s maturity and location (courtship versatility). Type 1 courtship, involving specialised movements and postures of the legs, palps, occurs if the female is an adult away from the nest; apparently this type of courtship is vision-dependent. If the male encounters an adult female inside her nest, he uses Type 2 courtship, this consists of movements by the male that cause the silk to vibrate. If the female is a subadult inside her nest, the male initially uses Type 2 courtship then builds a second chamber on the female’s nest and cohabits until she moults and matures. Other displays occur during male-male and female-female interactions. The evolution of complex display repertoires and courtship versatility is discussed especially in relation to the possible web-building ancestry of the Salticidae.