Observations on web-invasion by the jumping spider Thyene imperialis in Israel (Araneae: Salticidae)

2012·2.5 MB·English

by  Peter Jäger

Arachnologische Mitteilungen 43:63-65 Nuremberg,July2012
Observations on web-invasion by thejumping spider Thyeneimperialis in Israel
(Araneae: Salticidae)
PeterJäger
doi:10.5431/aramit4302
Abstract:Observationson Thyeneimperialis(Rossi,1846) in Israel,Negevdesert,invading a webofCydosadeserticola
Levy,1998arereported.Thefemaleleaptintotheorb-webtocatchCydosaspiders.Photographsareprovided,and
a linktoadditionalfilm material isgiven.
Keywords:araneophagy,behaviour,Plexippinae
In jumping spiders, Salticidae Blackwall, 1841, di- ckenberg, SMF 62339) were found beside road 40
verse predatory strategies have evolved, including from Be’er Sheva to Mizpe Ramon in the Negev
“araneophagy, aggressive mimicry, myrmicophagy desert.The sitewas ca. 5 km SWofMidreshetBen-
and prey-specific prey catching behavior” (review: Gurionat30°50’50.73”Nand34°45’4.91”Eatca.500
Jackson &Pollard 1996: 287). Probably one of m altitude. The webs were constructed in the wind
the best reviewed cases is the genus Portia Karsch, shadow ofa single group ofshrubs which were be-
&
1878 (Jackson 1986,Jackson 1995,Jackson tween50and150cmhigh(Fig. 1).Characteristically
Hallas 1990,Jackson&Wilcox1993,Wiley& thewebswere decoratedwithone ortwobunches of
Jackson 1993).Itnotonlyenterswebs,butalsoper- prey items below and/or above the hub (Fig. 2). In
forms“specialisedvibratorysignalstotricktheowner one female’s web a male was waiting at the edge of
ofthealienweb”-asdootherSpartaeinae(JACKSON theweb (Fig. 2). In an area of1-2 m^ about 10webs
1990).Inthesamepaper,Jacksonstatesthatallweb- were found.
invading members ofthe subfamily Spartaeinae he Inoneofthesewebsajumpingspiderwaspresent
studied “have the propertyofnot adhering to either instead of the expected Cyclosa spider. It was later
cribellateorecribellateglue ofstickythreads”.Inthe identifiedas adultfemaleofThyeneimperialis(depo-
Mediterranean,theSpartaeinae CyrbaalgerinaLucas, sited in Senckenberg, SMF 62300). Itwalked across
1846hasbeenknowntoperformweb-invasionbased theweb,firstapproachingabunchofpreyremnants.
onaggressivemimicry(CERVEIRAetal.2003:Israel, Then it walked to the centre and pulled on radial
Portugal). These more complex types ofbehaviour threads above the hub using its front legs, as is also
have to be differentiated from simple leaping into knowntooccurinorbwebspiders(Araneidae)during
alienwebs,e.g.byPlexippuspaykulli(Audouin, 1826) preylocalization behaviour.Afterwards it continued
orothers (discussedinJACKSONScMACNAB 1989). towalkontheweb’sstickyspiralwithoutanyproblems
(the stickiness ofthe threads was confirmed later).
During the 26th European Congress ofArachnol- Since no camerawas athand,the Thyenewas caught
ogyin Israel the authorwas able to observe an adult alive and keptfor the next day.
female of Thyene imperialis (Rossi, 1846) invading Next morning at ca. 9 o’clock the captured T
an orb-web ofanAraneidae species.This short note imperialis female was placed on a twig close to a
providesinformationaddingtoourknowledgeofthe thread of a Cyclosa web. When the Cyclosa female
predatorybehaviour ofSalticidae and to raise ques- moved into the centre, Thyeneoriented towards Cy-
tions about Thyenein particular. closa (as it also oriented towards cars on the nearby
In the afternoon of4.9.2011 several orb-webs of road) and maintained its orientation towards it [in
Cyclosa deserticola Levy, 1998 (preserved specimens thefollowingtexttheterm“detected”isusedforthis
identified using LEVY [1998] and deposited in Sen- behaviour].Whentouchingthe frame threads ofthe
orb-web, Thyenedidnotentertheweb.Afterwards,it
PeterJÄGER,Arachnology,SenckenbergResearchInstitute, was caughtagain andplacedin anopenvialnearthe
Senckenberganlage25,60325Frankfurt,Germany, Cyclosa (now at the top end ofthe orb-web). Here,
E-Mail:[email protected]
it immediately detected Cyclosa^ although the latter
submitted:30.11.2011; accepted:28.1.2012; onlineearly:15.3.2012 showednomovement. Steadywind,however,moved
64 P.Jäger
Figs.1-6:1.Israel,Negevdesert,SWMidreshetBen-Gurion,habitatwithshrubswithCyclosadeserticolawebs.2.WebofC.deserticola,
femaleincentrewithtwobunchesofpreyremnantsaboveand belowthehub,maletopleft.3.TipoflegsofThyeneimperialis,
touchingthreadwith pairedtarsalclaws.4.FemaleT.imperialis,feedingonfemaleC.deserticolaontopframethreadoftheCyclosa
orb-web.5.DittodirectlyafterdroppingCyclosa.6.SamefemaleofT.imperialisfeedingon maleC.deserticolain plasticvial.
the web including Cyclosa and prey items. After a DISONetal.(2008).Itcannotbestatedfromthesingle
few seconds Thyenejumped from the vial onto the observation whether Thyene performs web-invasion
web and caught Cyclosa (Fig. 4). During the feeding occasionally or routinely. It remains also unclear
processitchangeditspositionfromtime totime and whether web-invading behaviour of Thyene lacks
attached its dragline to the frame thread of Cyclosa. components typical for Spartaeinae (e.g., producing
Fifteen minutes laterit dropped Cyclosa (Fig. 5) and signals that modify the behaviour of the resident
walked along the top frame thread ofthe orb-web spider;Jackson pers. comm.).
to a twig (short films can be viewed at: http://www. However, Thyene enters alien webs and walks
senckenberg.de/thyene).Beforeitcouldescapeitwas within them, including on the web’s sticky threads
againcapturedin avialandretainedforten minutes. without a problem. It was clear from photos taken
Itwas placed for a second time in front ofa Cyclosa^ in the field that Thyene holds onto the threads with
this time a male inthe centre ofitsweb.Again, after its pairedclaws (Fig. 3) andthatitalso touchesparts
fewseconds Thyenedetected the spider, although no ofthe sticky threads (which were confirmed to still
activemovementwasperformedbyCyclosa.Thistime be sticky). One possible explanation for Thyene not
Thyenepulled Cyclosaoutofitswebfromitsposition adhering to the silk could be that it uses a similar
on the vial (Fig. 6). Both spiders were kept within protective coatingagainst stickythreads as proposed
thevialandonehourlaterthe dead Cyclosamalewas for orb-weavers by FABRE (1905: 114) and KROPF
dropped. et al. (2012). Moreover, it would be interesting to
ThebehaviourofThyeneimperialisobservedmay know whether all T. imperialis individuals are web-
becomparedwiththatofPlexippuspaykulliintermsof invaders and whether other web types are involved.
leaping into alienwebs and attacking their residents From some y>\\otos,Thyene appears to use the basal
(Jackson &McNAB 1989). Thyene is considered part ofits paired and toothed claws,which are close
a member of the Plexippinae Blackwall, 1841 by totheclawtufthairs(Fig.3).Couldtherebeasimilar
PROSZYNSKI (1976), METZNER (1999) and MAD- interactionbetweenthese two elements aspresentin
Web-invasionbyThyeneimperialis 65
&
the unpaired claw with serrated bristles (carabiner JacksonR.R. S.HALLAS(1990):Evolutionaryorigins
effect) in web-building spiders? All these questions of displays used in aggressive mimicry by Portia., a
can be answered only after more observations and web-invading araneophagicjumping spider (Araneae:
Salticidae).-NewZealandJournalofZoology17:7-23
elaborate experiments.
-doi: 10.1080/03014223.1990.10422580
Acknowledgements JACKSON R.R. &A.M. MACNAB (1989): Display, mat-
ing and predatory behaviour of the jumping spider
Trohpaenaknsctoongtrheesscfoonrgrleusrsinogrmgaenitsoerthteeabemauotfiftuhleha2b6itthatEsuo-f Plexippus paykulli (Araneae, Salticidae). - New
Zealand Journal of Zoology 16: 151-168 - doi:
the Negev desert, to Dmitri Logunov (Manchester) for
10.1080/03014223.1989.10422565
identifying the Thyene imperialis female and giving hints
on important literature references treating web-invading JacksonR.R.&S.D.Pollard(1996):Predatorybehavior
Salticidae. Helpful comments ofChristian Kropf(Bern), ofjumpingspiders.—AnnualReviewofEntomology41:
Theo Blick (Frankfurt),Yael Lubin, Efrat Gavish-Regev 287-308-doi: 10.1146/annurev.en.41.010196.001443
(bothMidreshetBen-Gurion)andespeciallyRobertJack- Jackson R.R. & R.S. Wilcox (1993): Observations in
son (Christchurch) are gratefully acknowledged. Thanks natureofdetouringbehaviourbyPortiafimbriata,aweb-
to the GermanAcademic Exchange Service (DAAD) for invading aggressive mimic jumping spider (Araneae:
supportingmyvisitatthis congressfinancially. Salticidae)fromQueensland.-JournalofZoology230:
135-139 - doi: 10.1111/j.l469-7998.1993.tb02677.x
&
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