1
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Humphrey B, Stouffer DB, Moser-Rust A, Helton WS, Grace RC, Nelson XJ. The effect of interstimulus interval on sustained attention. Behav Processes 2024; 222:105097. [PMID: 39299355 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
The ability of nervous systems to filter out irrelevant and repetitive stimuli may prevent animals from becoming 'saturated' with excess information. However, animals must be particular about which stimuli to attend to and which to ignore, as mistakes may be costly. Using a comparative approach, we explored the effect of interstimulus interval (ISI) between repeated presentations of visual stimuli presented on a screen to test the decrease in responses (response decrement) of both Trite planiceps jumping spiders and untrained Columba livia pigeons, animals with comparable visual ability despite having structurally different visual systems and brain size. We used ISIs of 2.5 s, 5 s, 10 s, predicting that decreases in ISI would lead to progressively less responses to the stimuli. Following from previous work on T. planiceps, we also manipulated pigeon hunger level, finding that hungry birds were initially more responsive than sated pigeons, but the rate of decrease in responses to the stimulus did not differ between the two groups. While a clear response decrement was seen in both species across all conditions, shorter ISIs resulted in more dramatic response decrements, aligning with previous work and with the resource depletion theory posited in the human-based literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie Humphrey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Daniel B Stouffer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Averill Moser-Rust
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - William S Helton
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Randolph C Grace
- Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
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2
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De Agrò M, Rößler DC, Shamble PS. Eye-specific detection and a multi-eye integration model of biological motion perception. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247061. [PMID: 38752337 PMCID: PMC11418026 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
'Biological motion' refers to the distinctive kinematics observed in many living organisms, where visually perceivable points on the animal move at fixed distances from each other. Across the animal kingdom, many species have developed specialized visual circuitry to recognize such biological motion and to discriminate it from other patterns. Recently, this ability has been observed in the distributed visual system of jumping spiders. These eight-eyed animals use six eyes to perceive motion, while the remaining two (the principal anterior medial eyes) are shifted across the visual scene to further inspect detected objects. When presented with a biologically moving stimulus and a random one, jumping spiders turn to face the latter, clearly demonstrating the ability to discriminate between them. However, it remains unclear whether the principal eyes are necessary for this behavior, whether all secondary eyes can perform this discrimination, or whether a single eye-pair is specialized for this task. Here, we systematically tested the ability of jumping spiders to discriminate between biological and random visual stimuli by testing each eye-pair alone. Spiders were able to discriminate stimuli only when the anterior lateral eyes were unblocked, and performed at chance levels in other configurations. Interestingly, spiders showed a preference for biological motion over random stimuli - unlike in past work. We therefore propose a new model describing how specialization of the anterior lateral eyes for detecting biological motion contributes to multi-eye integration in this system. This integration generates more complex behavior through the combination of simple, single-eye responses. We posit that this in-built modularity may be a solution to the limited resources of these invertebrates' brains, constituting a novel approach to visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo De Agrò
- Faculty of Biology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, Italy
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniela C. Rößler
- Zukunftskolleg, Konstanz University, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, Konstanz University, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Paul S. Shamble
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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3
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Steck M, Hanscom SJ, Iwanicki T, Sung JY, Outomuro D, Morehouse NI, Porter ML. Secondary not subordinate: Opsin localization suggests possibility for color sensitivity in salticid secondary eyes. Vision Res 2024; 217:108367. [PMID: 38428375 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The principal eyes of jumping spiders (Salticidae) integrate a dual-lens system, a tiered retinal matrix with multiple photoreceptor classes and muscular control of retinal movements to form high resolution images, extract color information, and dynamically evaluate visual scenes. While much work has been done to characterize these more complex principal anterior eyes, little work has investigated the three other pairs of simpler secondary eyes: the anterior lateral eye pair and two posterior (lateral and median) pairs of eyes. We investigated the opsin protein component of visual pigments in the eyes of three species of salticid using transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry. Based on characterization and localization of a set of three conserved opsins (Rh1 - green sensitive, Rh2 - blue sensitive, and Rh3 - ultraviolet sensitive) we have identified potential photoreceptors for blue light detection in the eyes of two out of three species: Menemerus bivittatus (Chrysillini) and Habrocestum africanum (Hasarinii). Additionally, the photoreceptor diversity of the secondary eyes exhibits more variation than previous estimates, particularly for the small, posterior median eyes previously considered vestigial in some species. In all three species investigated the lateral eyes were dominated by green-sensitive visual pigments (RH1 opsins), while the posterior median retinas were dominated by opsins forming short-wavelength sensitive visual pigments (e.g. RH2 and/or RH3/RH4). There was also variation among secondary eye types and among species in the distribution of opsins in retinal photoreceptors, particularly for the putatively blue-sensitive visual pigment formed from RH2. Our findings suggest secondary eyes have the potential for color vision, with observed differences between species likely associated with different ecologies and visual tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tom Iwanicki
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu HI 96822 USA; The Earth Commons Institute, Georgetown University, Washington DC 20057 USA
| | | | - David Outomuro
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45221; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
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4
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Winsor AM, Remage-Healey L, Hoy RR, Jakob EM. Visual attention and processing in jumping spiders. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:6-8. [PMID: 37798203 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Jumping spiders have extraordinary vision. Using multiple, specialized eyes, these spiders selectively gather and integrate disparate streams of information about motion, color, and spatial detail. The saccadic movements of a forward-facing pair of eyes allow spiders to inspect their surroundings and identify objects. Here, we discuss the jumping spider visual system and how visual information is attended to and processed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Winsor
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Ronald R Hoy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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5
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Tan M, Chan JYO, Yu L, Tan EJ, Li D. Background matching can reduce responsiveness of jumping spiders to stimuli in motion. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246092. [PMID: 38054359 PMCID: PMC10906486 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Motion and camouflage were previously considered to be mutually exclusive, as sudden movements can be easily detected. Background matching, for instance, is a well-known, effective camouflage strategy where the colour and pattern of a stationary animal match its surrounding background. However, background matching may lose its efficacy when the animal moves, as the boundaries of the animal become more defined against its background. Recent evidence shows otherwise, as camouflaged objects can be less detectable than uncamouflaged objects even while in motion. Here, we explored whether the detectability of computer-generated stimuli varies with the speed of motion, background (matching and unmatching) and size of stimuli in six species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Our results showed that, in general, the responsiveness of all six salticid species tested decreased with increasing stimulus speed regardless of whether the stimuli were conspicuous or camouflaged. Importantly, salticid responses to camouflaged stimuli were significantly lower compared with those to conspicuous stimuli. There were significant differences in motion detectability across species when the stimuli were conspicuous, suggesting differences in visual acuity in closely related species of jumping spiders. Furthermore, small stimuli elicited significantly lower responses than large stimuli across species and speeds. Our results thus suggest that background matching is effective even when stimuli are in motion, reducing the detectability of moving stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
| | - Jeremiah Y. O. Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
| | - Long Yu
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Eunice J. Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore138527
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore117543
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
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6
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Steinhoff POM, Harzsch S, Uhl G. Comparative neuroanatomy of the central nervous system in web-building and cursorial hunting spiders. J Comp Neurol 2023; 532:e25554. [PMID: 37948052 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Spiders (Araneae) include cursorial species that stalk their prey and more stationary species that use webs for prey capture. While many cursorial hunting spiders rely on visual cues, web-building spiders use vibratory cues (mechanosensation) for prey capture. We predicted that the differences in primary sensory input between the species are mirrored by differences in the morphology/architecture of the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we investigated the CNS anatomy of four spider species, two cursorial hunters Pardosa amentata (Lycosidae) and Marpissa muscosa (Salticidae), and two web-building hunters Argiope bruennichi (Araneidae) and Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Theridiidae). Their CNS was analyzed using Bodian silver impregnations, immunohistochemistry, and microCT analysis. We found that there are major differences between species in the secondary eye pathway of the brain that pertain to first-order, second-order, and higher order brain centers (mushroom bodies [MB]). While P. amentata and M. muscosa have prominent visual neuropils and MB, these are much reduced in the two web-building species. Argiope bruennichi lacks second-order visual neuropils but has specialized photoreceptors that project into two distinct visual neuropils, and P. tepidariorum lacks MB, suggesting that motion vision might be absent in this species. Interestingly, the differences in the ventral nerve cord are much less pronounced, but the web-building spiders have proportionally larger leg neuropils than the cursorial spiders. Our findings suggest that the importance of visual information is much reduced in web-building spiders, compared to cursorial spiders, while processing of mechanosensory information requires the same major circuits in both web-building and cursorial hunting spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip O M Steinhoff
- Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Steffen Harzsch
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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7
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Mannino E, Regolin L, Moretto E, De Agrò M. Study Replication: Shape Discrimination in a Conditioning Procedure on the Jumping Spider Phidippus regius. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2326. [PMID: 37508103 PMCID: PMC10376405 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Spiders possess a unique visual system, split into eight different eyes and divided into two fully independent visual pathways. This peculiar organization begs the question of how visual information is processed, and whether the classically recognized Gestalt rules of perception hold true. In a previous experiment, we tested the ability of jumping spiders to associate a geometrical shape with a reward (sucrose solution), and then to generalize the learned association to a partially occluded version of the shape. The occluded shape was presented together with a broken version of the same shape. The former should be perceived as a whole shape only in the case the animals, like humans, are able to amodally complete an object partly hidden by an occluder; otherwise, the two shapes would be perceived as identical. There, the spiders learned the association but failed to generalize. Here, we present a replication of the experiment, with an increased number of subjects, a DeepLabCut-based scoring procedure, and an improved statistical analysis. The results of the experiment follow closely the direction of the effects observed in the previous work but fail to rise to significance. We discuss the importance of study replication, and we especially highlight the use of automated scoring procedures to maximize objectivity in behavioral studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Mannino
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Lucia Regolin
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | - Enzo Moretto
- Esapolis' Living Insects Museum of the Padua Province, 35143 Padua, Italy
- Butterfly Arc Ltd., 35036 Padua, Italy
| | - Massimo De Agrò
- Esapolis' Living Insects Museum of the Padua Province, 35143 Padua, Italy
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56025 Pontedera, Italy
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8
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Earl B. Humans, fish, spiders and bees inherited working memory and attention from their last common ancestor. Front Psychol 2023; 13:937712. [PMID: 36814887 PMCID: PMC9939904 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
All brain processes that generate behaviour, apart from reflexes, operate with information that is in an "activated" state. This activated information, which is known as working memory (WM), is generated by the effect of attentional processes on incoming information or information previously stored in short-term or long-term memory (STM or LTM). Information in WM tends to remain the focus of attention; and WM, attention and STM together enable information to be available to mental processes and the behaviours that follow on from them. WM and attention underpin all flexible mental processes, such as solving problems, making choices, preparing for opportunities or threats that could be nearby, or simply finding the way home. Neither WM nor attention are necessarily conscious, and both may have evolved long before consciousness. WM and attention, with similar properties, are possessed by humans, archerfish, and other vertebrates; jumping spiders, honey bees, and other arthropods; and members of other clades, whose last common ancestor (LCA) is believed to have lived more than 600 million years ago. It has been reported that very similar genes control the development of vertebrate and arthropod brains, and were likely inherited from their LCA. Genes that control brain development are conserved because brains generate adaptive behaviour. However, the neural processes that generate behaviour operate with the activated information in WM, so WM and attention must have existed prior to the evolution of brains. It is proposed that WM and attention are widespread amongst animal species because they are phylogenetically conserved mechanisms that are essential to all mental processing, and were inherited from the LCA of vertebrates, arthropods, and some other animal clades.
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9
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Bartos M. Visual prey categorization by a generalist jumping spider. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2143583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Bartos
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, University of Łódź, Poland
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10
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Rao D, Long SM, Tapia-McClung H, Salgado-Espinosa K, Narendra A, Aguilar-Arguello S, Robledo-Ospina L, Rodriguez-Morales D, Jakob EM. Visual signals in the wing display of a tephritid fly deter jumping spider attacks. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:286139. [PMID: 36478243 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Visual animal communication, whether to the same or to other species, is largely conducted through dynamic and colourful signals. For a signal to be effective, the signaller must capture and retain the attention of the receiver. Signal efficacy is also dependent on the sensory limitations of the receiver. However, most signalling studies consider movement and colour separately, resulting in a partial understanding of the signal in question. We explored the structure and function of predator-prey signalling in the jumping spider-tephritid fly system, where the prey performs a wing waving display that deters an attack from the predator. Using a custom-built spider retinal tracker combined with visual modelling, as well as behavioural assays, we studied the effect of fly wing movement and colour on the jumping spider's visual system. We show that jumping spiders track their prey less effectively during wing display and this can be attributed to a series of fluctuations in chromatic and achromatic contrasts arising from the wing movements. These results suggest that displaying flies deter spider attacks by manipulating the movement biases of the spider's visual system. Our results emphasise the importance of receiver attention on the evolution of interspecific communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Rao
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Skye M Long
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Horacio Tapia-McClung
- Instituto de Investigacion en Inteligencia Artificial, Universidad Veracruzana, 91097 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Kevin Salgado-Espinosa
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Ajay Narendra
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | | | - Luis Robledo-Ospina
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Dulce Rodriguez-Morales
- Instituto de Biotecnologia y Ecologia Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.,Instituo de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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11
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Duneau D, Buchon N. Gut cancer increases the risk of Drosophila being preyed upon by hunting spiders. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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12
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Aguilar-Arguello S, Taylor AH, Nelson XJ. Jumping spiders do not seem fooled by texture gradient illusions. Behav Processes 2022; 196:104603. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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13
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Shepeleva IP. A Comparative Analysis of the Camera-like Eyes of Jumping Spiders and Humans. Vision (Basel) 2021; 6:vision6010002. [PMID: 35076633 PMCID: PMC8788500 DOI: 10.3390/vision6010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Among invertebrates, jumping spiders are one of the few groups whose representatives have camera-like eyes, and the only group whose representatives have fovea. The latter is present in the camera-like eyes of representatives of some groups of vertebrates, including humans. Based on the literature data, a comparative analysis of the camera-like eyes of jumping spiders and humans was carried out, in the course of which the similarities and differences in the properties and functions of their basic components were identified. The presented data are necessary for the formation of knowledge about jumping spiders as model animals for studying the functioning of the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina P Shepeleva
- Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova emb. 6, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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14
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Vickers ME, Heisey ML, Taylor LA. Lack of neophobic responses to color in a jumping spider that uses color cues when foraging (Habronattus pyrrithrix). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254865. [PMID: 34324526 PMCID: PMC8321159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemically defended prey often advertise their toxins with bright and conspicuous colors. To understand why such colors are effective at reducing predation, we need to understand the psychology of key predators. In bird predators, there is evidence that individuals avoid novelty-including prey of novel colors (with which they have had no prior experience). Moreover, the effect of novelty is sometimes strongest for colors that are typically associated with aposematic prey (e.g., red, orange, yellow). Given these findings in the bird literature, color neophobia has been argued to be a driving force in the evolution of aposematism. However, no studies have yet asked whether invertebrate predators respond similarly to novel colors. Here, we tested whether naive lab-raised jumping spiders (Habronattus pyrrithrix) exhibit similar patterns of color neophobia to birds. Using color-manipulated living prey, we first color-exposed spiders to prey of two out of three colors (blue, green, or red), with the third color remaining novel. After this color exposure phase, we gave the spiders tests where they could choose between all three colors (two familiar, one novel). We found that H. pyrrithrix attacked novel and familiar-colored prey at equal rates with no evidence that the degree of neophobia varied by color. Moreover, we found no evidence that either prey novelty nor color (nor their interaction) had an effect on how quickly prey was attacked. We discuss these findings in the context of what is known about color neophobia in other animals and how this contributes to our understanding of aposematic signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Vickers
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa
| | - Madison L. Heisey
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Taylor
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
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15
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De Agrò M, Rößler DC, Kim K, Shamble PS. Perception of biological motion by jumping spiders. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001172. [PMID: 34264925 PMCID: PMC8282030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The body of most creatures is composed of interconnected joints. During motion, the spatial location of these joints changes, but they must maintain their distances to one another, effectively moving semirigidly. This pattern, termed "biological motion" in the literature, can be used as a visual cue, enabling many animals (including humans) to distinguish animate from inanimate objects. Crucially, even artificially created scrambled stimuli, with no recognizable structure but that maintains semirigid movement patterns, are perceived as animated. However, to date, biological motion perception has only been reported in vertebrates. Due to their highly developed visual system and complex visual behaviors, we investigated the capability of jumping spiders to discriminate biological from nonbiological motion using point-light display stimuli. These kinds of stimuli maintain motion information while being devoid of structure. By constraining spiders on a spherical treadmill, we simultaneously presented 2 point-light displays with specific dynamic traits and registered their preference by observing which pattern they turned toward. Spiders clearly demonstrated the ability to discriminate between biological motion and random stimuli, but curiously turned preferentially toward the latter. However, they showed no preference between biological and scrambled displays, results that match responses produced by vertebrates. Crucially, spiders turned toward the stimuli when these were only visible by the lateral eyes, evidence that this task may be eye specific. This represents the first demonstration of biological motion recognition in an invertebrate, posing crucial questions about the evolutionary history of this ability and complex visual processing in nonvertebrate systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo De Agrò
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Zoology, Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniela C. Rößler
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kris Kim
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul S. Shamble
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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16
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Cerveira AM, Nelson XJ, Jackson RR. Spatial acuity-sensitivity trade-off in the principal eyes of a jumping spider: possible adaptations to a 'blended' lifestyle. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:437-448. [PMID: 33885956 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01486-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are diurnal visual predators known for elaborate, vision-mediated behaviour achieved through the coordinated work of four pairs of camera-type eyes. One pair ('principal' eyes) is responsible for colour and high spatial acuity vision, while three pairs ('secondary' eyes) are mostly responsible for motion detection. Based on its unusual capacity to visually discriminate specific prey in very low, but also under bright light settings, we investigated the structure of the principal and one pair of secondary eyes (antero-lateral eyes) of Cyrba algerina to determine how these eyes achieve the sensitivity, while maintaining spatial acuity, needed to sustain behaviour in low light. Compared to salticids that live in bright light, the principal eyes of C. algerina have a short focal length, and wide contiguous twin rhabdomeres that support optical pooling, overall favouring sensitivity (0.39 μm2), but without fully compromising acuity (12.4 arc min). The antero-lateral eye retinae have large receptors surrounded by pigment granules, providing effective shielding from scattered light. These adaptations may be beneficial for a xeric salticid species with a 'blended' lifestyle: generally living and hunting under stones in the dark, but sometimes venturing above them, in dramatically different light conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Cerveira
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Robert R Jackson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Thomas Odhiambo Campus, P.O. Box 30, Mbita Point, Kenya
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17
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Bruce M, Daye D, Long SM, Winsor AM, Menda G, Hoy RR, Jakob EM. Attention and distraction in the modular visual system of a jumping spider. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:239722. [PMID: 33914032 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.231035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals must selectively attend to relevant stimuli and avoid being distracted by unimportant stimuli. Jumping spiders (Salticidae) do this by coordinating eyes with different capabilities. Objects are examined by a pair of high-acuity principal eyes, whose narrow field of view is compensated for by retinal movements. The principal eyes overlap in field of view with motion-sensitive anterior-lateral eyes (ALEs), which direct their gaze to new stimuli. Using a salticid-specific eyetracker, we monitored the gaze direction of the principal eyes as they examined a primary stimulus. We then presented a distractor stimulus visible only to the ALEs and observed whether the principal eyes reflexively shifted their gaze to it or whether this response was flexible. Whether spiders redirected their gaze to the distractor depended on properties of both the primary and distractor stimuli. This flexibility suggests that higher-order processing occurs in the management of the attention of the principal eyes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Bruce
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, French Hall, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Daniel Daye
- Biology Department, 220 Morrill 3, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Skye M Long
- Biology Department, 220 Morrill 3, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Alex M Winsor
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, French Hall, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Gil Menda
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ronald R Hoy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Biology Department, 220 Morrill 3, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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18
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Jumping spiders: An exceptional group for comparative cognition studies. Learn Behav 2021; 49:276-291. [PMID: 33443650 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-020-00445-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of cognition in animals. Broadly, these hypotheses fall under two categories: those that pertain to the selective pressures exerted either by sociality or by the ecological niche in which animals live. We review these ideas and then discuss why the highly visual jumping spiders (Salticidae) are excellent models for investigating how cognitive ability evolves. With few exceptions, these behaviorally complex spiders are non-social, making them ideal candidates to explore ideas pertaining to selection based on habitat complexity and selection based on predatory behavior (foraging niche hypotheses). With the exception of Antarctica, salticids are found in all habitats on Earth, ranging from very complex to barren and simple. While many species are generalist predators, a minority also have specialized predatory behavior and prey specialization on dangerous prey, which has been proposed as an explanation for advanced cognitive ability. As this large group has a diversity of habitats in which it lives, diverse predatory behavior, as well as some "social" species, we argue that salticids are ideal candidates for comparative studies to explore the myriad selection factors acting upon a group well known for their cognitive prowess, despite having miniature brains.
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Long SM. Variations on a theme: Morphological variation in the secondary eye visual pathway across the order of Araneae. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:259-280. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Skye M. Long
- Biology Department University Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts USA
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20
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Steinhoff POM, Uhl G, Harzsch S, Sombke A. Visual pathways in the brain of the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1883-1902. [PMID: 31960432 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Some animals have evolved task differentiation among their eyes. A particular example is spiders, where most species have eight eyes, of which two (the principal eyes) are used for object discrimination, whereas the other three pairs (secondary eyes) detect movement. In the ctenid spider Cupiennius salei, these two eye types correspond to two visual pathways in the brain. Each eye is associated with its own first- and second-order visual neuropil. The second-order neuropils of the principal eyes are connected to the arcuate body, whereas the second-order neuropils of the secondary eyes are linked to the mushroom body. We explored the principal- and secondary eye visual pathways of the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa, in which size and visual fields of the two eye types are considerably different. We found that the connectivity of the principal eye pathway is the same as in C. salei, while there are differences in the secondary eye pathways. In M. muscosa, all secondary eyes are connected to their own first-order visual neuropils. The first-order visual neuropils of the anterior lateral and posterior lateral eyes are connected with a second-order visual neuropil each and an additional shared one (L2). In the posterior median eyes, the axons of their first-order visual neuropils project directly to the arcuate body, suggesting that the posterior median eyes do not detect movement. The L2 might function as an upstream integration center enabling faster movement decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip O M Steinhoff
- General and Systematic Zoology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- General and Systematic Zoology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Steffen Harzsch
- Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andy Sombke
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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21
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Nelson XJ, Aguilar-Arguello S, Jackson RR. Widespread army ant aversion among East African jumping spiders (Salticidae). J ETHOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-020-00639-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
AbstractJumping spiders (Salticidae) typically prey on a variety of arthropods of similar size to themselves, but rarely on ants. Using 28 salticid species from East Africa, we first investigated vision-based aversion to ants by recording latency to enter a transparent sealed chamber flanked by chambers containing living army ants (Dorylus sp.) or tsetse flies (Glossina pallidipes) of comparable size. For all species, entry latency was significantly longer when the stimuli were ants. In another experiment, we used dead ants and tsetse flies mounted in a life-like posture as stimuli; except for Goleba puella, a species with unusual retinal ultrastructure, we again found significantly longer entry latency when the stimuli were ants. Our findings imply that these salticids express an aversion specifically to ants even when restricted to using vision alone and, except for G. puella, even when relying on solely the static appearance of the insects. Having used salticids from laboratory cultures with no prior experience with ants, our findings are consistent with vision-based aversion to army ants being innate.
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Aguilar-Argüello S, Gerhard D, Nelson XJ. Risk assessment and the use of novel shortcuts in spatial detouring tasks in jumping spiders. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractSelection on individuals that incorporate risk to quickly and accurately make a priori navigational assessments may lead to increased spatial ability. Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) are characterized by their highly acute vision, which mediates many behaviors, including prey capture and navigation. When moving to a specific goal (prey, nest, a potential mate, etc.), salticids rely on visual cues and spatial memory to orient in 3-dimensional space. Salticid spatial ability has been studied in homing and detour tasks, with Portia being considered one of the most skillful genera in terms of spatial ability in the family. Commonly living in complex environments, salticids are likely to encounter a wide variety of routes that could lead to a goal, and, as selection favors individuals that can accurately make assessments, they may be able to assess alternative route distances to select the most efficient route. Here, we tested whether 2 salticid species (Portia fimbriata and Trite planiceps) can discriminate and assess between different available routes by their length, and riskiness to escape from a stressful scenario. Results suggest that while Portia is more likely to choose the easiest and shortest escape routes, Trite is faster in both decision making about which route to take, and to escape. However, some individuals were able to use novel shortcuts instead of the routes expected, with Portia containing a higher proportion of shortcut-takers than Trite. These differences in spatial ability seem to correspond with the environmental complexity inhabited by each species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Gerhard
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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23
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Cerveira AM, Jackson RR, Nelson XJ. Dim-light vision in jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae): identification of prey and rivals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.198069. [PMID: 31019068 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.198069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are known for their intricate vision-based behavior during encounters with prey and conspecific individuals. This is achieved using eyes specialized for discerning fine detail, but there has been minimal research on the capacity that salticids might have for visual performance under low ambient light levels. Here, we investigated the capacity of two salticid species, Cyrba algerina from Portugal and Cyrba ocellata from Kenya, to perform two specific visual tasks under low ambient light levels. We used lures made from spiders and midges in prey-identification experiments and mirror images (virtual conspecifics) in rival-identification experiments. These experiments were implemented under a range of ambient light levels (234, 1.35, 0.54, 0.24 cd m-2). In most instances, C algerina and C ocellata were proficient at performing both of these visual tasks when ambient light was 234 and 1.35 cd m-2, and a minority performed these tasks at 0.54 cd m-2, but none succeeded when the light level was 0.24 cd m-2 Cyrba algerina and C. ocellata showed vision-based discrimination under low ambient light levels previously associated with nocturnal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Cerveira
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Robert R Jackson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.,International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Thomas Odhiambo Campus, PO Box 30, Mbita Point, Kenya
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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24
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The effect of stimulus encounter rate on response decrement in jumping spiders. Behav Processes 2019; 159:57-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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25
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Tork P. Pathways of ocular entrainment in Marpissa marina (Araneae, Salticidae). NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2018.1549084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pariya Tork
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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26
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Girard MB, Kasumovic MM, Elias DO. The role of red coloration and song in peacock spider courtship: insights into complex signaling systems. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline B Girard
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael M Kasumovic
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences Building (D26) University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, USA
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27
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Melrose A, Nelson XJ, Dolev Y, Helton WS. Vigilance all the way down: Vigilance decrement in jumping spiders resembles that of humans. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 72:1530-1538. [PMID: 30131001 DOI: 10.1177/1747021818798743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The inability to maintain signal detection performance with time on task, or vigilance decrement, is widely studied in people. Despite suggestions that limitations in sustained attention may be a fundamental characteristic of animal cognition, there has been limited research on the vigilance decrement in other animals. We conducted two experiments to explore vigilance in jumping spiders. Our first experiment established that the vigilance decrement, decline in signal detections with time on task, occurs in these spiders in laboratory settings. Our second experiment tested whether this phenomenon was simply the result of habituation of sensory receptors by employing two dishabituation manipulations. Neither dishabituation manipulation appeared to have an effect. Thus, the vigilance decrement in spiders appears to be due to something more than simply peripheral sensory habituation. We suggest that limitations in sustained attention may be a widespread phenomenon among animals that needs addressing when theorising about the vigilance decrement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Melrose
- 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Yinnon Dolev
- 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - William S Helton
- 2 Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.,3 Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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28
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Psychophysical investigation of vigilance decrement in jumping spiders: overstimulation or understimulation? Anim Cogn 2018; 21:787-794. [PMID: 30167926 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1210-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The inability to maintain signal detection performance with time on task, or vigilance decrement, is widely studied in people because of its profound implications on attention-demanding tasks over sustained periods of time (e.g., air-traffic control). According to the resource depletion (overload) theory, a faster decrement is expected in tasks that are cognitively demanding or overstimulating, while the underload theory predicts steeper decrements in tasks that provide too little cognitive load, or understimulation. Using Trite planiceps, a jumping spider which is an active visual hunter, we investigated vigilance decrement to repetitive visual stimuli. Spiders were tethered in front of two stimulus presentation monitors and were given a polystyrene ball to hold. Movement of this ball indicates an attempt to turn towards a visual stimulus presented to a pair of laterally facing (anterior lateral) eyes for closer investigation with high acuity forward-facing (anterior median) eyes. Vigilance decrement is easily measured, as moving visual stimuli trigger clear optokinetic responses. We manipulated task difficulty by varying the contrast of the stimulus and the degree of 'noise' displayed on the screen over which the stimulus moved, thus affecting the signal:noise ratio. Additionally, we manipulated motivation by paired testing of hungry and sated spiders. All factors affected the vigilance decrement, but the key variable affecting decrement was stimulus contrast. Spiders exhibited a steeper decrement in the harder tasks, aligning with the resource depletion theory.
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29
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Thoen HH, Sayre ME, Marshall J, Strausfeld NJ. Representation of the stomatopod's retinal midband in the optic lobes: Putative neural substrates for integrating chromatic, achromatic and polarization information. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1148-1165. [PMID: 29377111 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Stomatopods have an elaborate visual system served by a retina that is unique to this class of pancrustaceans. Its upper and lower eye hemispheres encode luminance and linear polarization while an equatorial band of photoreceptors termed the midband detects color, circularly polarized light and linear polarization in the ultraviolet. In common with many malacostracan crustaceans, stomatopods have stalked eyes, but they can move these independently within three degrees of rotational freedom. Both eyes separately use saccadic and scanning movements but they can also move in a coordinated fashion to track selected targets or maintain a forward eyestalk posture during swimming. Visual information is initially processed in the first two optic neuropils, the lamina and the medulla, where the eye's midband is represented by enlarged regions within each neuropil that contain populations of neurons, the axons of which are segregated from the neuropil regions subtending the hemispheres. Neuronal channels representing the midband extend from the medulla to the lobula where populations of putative inhibitory glutamic acid decarboxylase-positive neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons intrinsic to the lobula have specific associations with the midband. Here we investigate the organization of the midband representation in the medulla and the lobula in the context of their overall architecture. We discuss the implications of observed arrangements, in which midband inputs to the lobula send out collaterals that extend across the retinotopic mosaic pertaining to the hemispheres. This organization suggests an integrative design that diverges from the eumalacostracan ground pattern and, for the stomatopod, enables color and polarization information to be integrated with luminance information that presumably encodes shape and motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Halkinrud Thoen
- Sensory Neurobiology Group, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Marcel E Sayre
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Justin Marshall
- Sensory Neurobiology Group, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nicholas James Strausfeld
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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30
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Landuse Change in Savannas Disproportionately Reduces Functional Diversity of Invertebrate Predators at the Highest Trophic Levels: Spiders as an Example. Ecosystems 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0194-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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31
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Mammola S, Michalik P, Hebets EA, Isaia M. Record breaking achievements by spiders and the scientists who study them. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3972. [PMID: 29104823 PMCID: PMC5668680 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Organismal biology has been steadily losing fashion in both formal education and scientific research. Simultaneous with this is an observable decrease in the connection between humans, their environment, and the organisms with which they share the planet. Nonetheless, we propose that organismal biology can facilitate scientific observation, discovery, research, and engagement, especially when the organisms of focus are ubiquitous and charismatic animals such as spiders. Despite being often feared, spiders are mysterious and intriguing, offering a useful foundation for the effective teaching and learning of scientific concepts and processes. In order to provide an entryway for teachers and students-as well as scientists themselves-into the biology of spiders, we compiled a list of 99 record breaking achievements by spiders (the "Spider World Records"). We chose a world-record style format, as this is known to be an effective way to intrigue readers of all ages. We highlighted, for example, the largest and smallest spiders, the largest prey eaten, the fastest runners, the highest fliers, the species with the longest sperm, the most venomous species, and many more. We hope that our compilation will inspire science educators to embrace the biology of spiders as a resource that engages students in science learning. By making these achievements accessible to non-arachnologists and arachnologists alike, we suggest that they could be used: (i) by educators to draw in students for science education, (ii) to highlight gaps in current organismal knowledge, and (iii) to suggest novel avenues for future research efforts. Our contribution is not meant to be comprehensive, but aims to raise public awareness on spiders, while also providing an initial database of their record breaking achievements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
| | - Peter Michalik
- Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
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32
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Mating-induced sexual inhibition in the jumping spider Servaea incana (Araneae: Salticidae): A fast-acting and long-lasting effect. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184940. [PMID: 29045411 PMCID: PMC5646760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating-induced sexual inhibition has been studied extensively as an important facet of many insect mating systems but remains little understood in spiders. Once mated, females of many spider species become unreceptive and aggressive toward males, but the speed of onset and persistence of this effect are not known. Addressing this gap, the present study considers (1) mating tendency of virgins, latency to remating, and lifetime mating frequency and (2) how quickly sexual inhibition is expressed after the first mating in female Servaea incana jumping spiders. Encounters between males and females took place in two contexts that simulated locations where mating occurs in nature: in the light away from nests ('in the open') and in low light within the shelter of silken retreats ('at a retreat'). Virgin females exhibited high receptivity levels in both contexts but sexual inhibition was induced immediately after their first copulation. The most common tendency was for just one mating in a lifetime, and few females mated more than twice. Context also had an effect on female mating tendency, as virgin females in the open rejected more males before accepting their first mate than did virgin females in retreats. Considering only those females that did remate, females in the open tended to reject fewer males before remating. Given low levels of female remating, virgin females appear to be at a premium for male reproductive fitness in S. incana jumping spiders and this is a likely explanation for protandry found in nature.
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33
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Steinhoff POM, Sombke A, Liedtke J, Schneider JM, Harzsch S, Uhl G. The synganglion of the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa (Arachnida: Salticidae): Insights from histology, immunohistochemistry and microCT analysis. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2017; 46:156-170. [PMID: 27845202 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Jumping spiders are known for their extraordinary cognitive abilities. The underlying nervous system structures, however, are largely unknown. Here, we explore and describe the anatomy of the brain in the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa (Clerck, 1757) by means of paraffin histology, X-ray microCT analysis and immunohistochemistry as well as three-dimensional reconstruction. In the prosoma, the CNS is a clearly demarcated mass that surrounds the esophagus. The anteriormost neuromere, the protocerebrum, comprises nine bilaterally paired neuropils, including the mushroom bodies and one unpaired midline neuropil, the arcuate body. Further ventrally, the synganglion comprises the cheliceral (deutocerebrum) and pedipalpal neuropils (tritocerebrum). Synapsin-immunoreactivity in all neuropils is generally strong, while allatostatin-immunoreactivity is mostly present in association with the arcuate body and the stomodeal bridge. The most prominent neuropils in the spider brain, the mushroom bodies and the arcuate body, were suggested to be higher integrating centers of the arthropod brain. The mushroom body in M. muscosa is connected to first and second order visual neuropils of the lateral eyes, and the arcuate body to the second order neuropils of the anterior median eyes (primary eyes) through a visual tract. The connection of both, visual neuropils and eyes and arcuate body, as well as their large size corroborates the hypothesis that these neuropils play an important role in cognition and locomotion control of jumping spiders. In addition, we show that the architecture of the brain of M. muscosa and some previously investigated salticids differs significantly from that of the wandering spider Cupiennius salei, especially with regard to structure and arrangement of visual neuropils and mushroom body. Thus, we need to explore the anatomical conformities and specificities of the brains of different spider taxa in order to understand evolutionary transformations of the arthropod brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip O M Steinhoff
- Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Anklamer Straße 20, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Andy Sombke
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Jannis Liedtke
- Zoological Institute, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Zoological Institute, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Harzsch
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Anklamer Straße 20, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
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Place avoidance learning and memory in a jumping spider. Anim Cogn 2016; 20:275-284. [PMID: 27796659 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1048-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Using a conditioned passive place avoidance paradigm, we investigated the relative importance of three experimental parameters on learning and memory in a salticid, Servaea incana. Spiders encountered an aversive electric shock stimulus paired with one side of a two-sided arena. Our three parameters were the ecological relevance of the visual stimulus, the time interval between trials and the time interval before test. We paired electric shock with either a black or white visual stimulus, as prior studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that S. incana prefer dark 'safe' regions to light ones. We additionally evaluated the influence of two temporal features (time interval between trials and time interval before test) on learning and memory. Spiders exposed to the shock stimulus learned to associate shock with the visual background cue, but the extent to which they did so was dependent on which visual stimulus was present and the time interval between trials. Spiders trained with a long interval between trials (24 h) maintained performance throughout training, whereas spiders trained with a short interval (10 min) maintained performance only when the safe side was black. When the safe side was white, performance worsened steadily over time. There was no difference between spiders tested after a short (10 min) or long (24 h) interval before test. These results suggest that the ecological relevance of the stimuli used and the duration of the interval between trials can influence learning and memory in jumping spiders.
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Bartos M, Minias P. Visual cues used in directing predatory strikes by the jumping spider Yllenus arenarius (Araneae, Salticidae). Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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González-Martín-Moro J, Hernández-Verdejo JL, Jiménez-Gahete AE. Surprising characteristics of visual systems of invertebrates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 92:19-28. [PMID: 27422478 DOI: 10.1016/j.oftal.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To communicate relevant and striking aspects about the visual system of some close invertebrates. MATERIAL AND METHODS Review of the related literature. RESULTS The capacity of snails to regenerate a complete eye, the benefit of the oval shape of the compound eye of many flying insects as a way of stabilising the image during flight, the potential advantages related to the extreme refractive error that characterises the ocelli of many insects, as well as the ability to detect polarised light as a navigation system, are some of the surprising capabilities present in the small invertebrate eyes that are described in this work. CONCLUSIONS The invertebrate eyes have capabilities and sensorial modalities that are not present in the human eye. The study of the eyes of these animals can help us to improve our understanding of our visual system, and inspire the development of optical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- J González-Martín-Moro
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Hospital Universitario del Henares, Coslada, Madrid, España; Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, España.
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Dolev Y, Nelson XJ. Biological relevance affects object recognition in jumping spiders. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2015.1070183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Stafstrom JA, Hebets EA. Nocturnal foraging enhanced by enlarged secondary eyes in a net-casting spider. Biol Lett 2016; 12:20160152. [PMID: 27194291 PMCID: PMC4892245 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals that possess extreme sensory structures are predicted to have a related extreme behavioural function. This study focuses on one such extreme sensory structure-the posterior median eyes of the net-casting spider Deinopis spinosa. Although past research has implicated the importance of vision in the nocturnal foraging habits of Deinopis, no direct link between vision in the enlarged eyes and nocturnal foraging has yet been made. To directly test the hypothesis that the enlarged posterior median eyes facilitate visually based nocturnal prey capture, we conducted repeated-measures, visual occlusion trials in both natural and laboratory settings. Our results indicate that D. spinosa relies heavily on visual cues detected by the posterior median eyes to capture cursorial prey items. We suggest that the enlarged posterior median eyes benefit D. spinosa not only through increased diet breadth, but also by allowing spiders to remain active solely at night, thus evading predation by diurnal animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Stafstrom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Manter Hall, 1104T Street, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Eileen A Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Manter Hall, 1104T Street, Lincoln, NE, USA
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Multimodal Communication in Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae)—An Emerging Model for Study. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Peckmezian T, Taylor PW. A virtual reality paradigm for the study of visually mediated behaviour and cognition in spiders. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Samadi L, Schmid A, Eriksson BJ. Differential expression of retinal determination genes in the principal and secondary eyes of Cupiennius salei Keyserling (1877). EvoDevo 2015; 6:16. [PMID: 26034575 PMCID: PMC4450993 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-015-0010-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factors that determine retinal development seem to be conserved in different phyla throughout the animal kingdom. In most representatives, however, only a few of the involved transcription factors have been sampled and many animal groups remain understudied. In order to fill in the gaps for the chelicerate group of arthropods, we tested the expression pattern of the candidate genes involved in the eye development in the embryo of the wandering spider Cupiennius salei. One main objective was to profile the molecular development of the eyes and to search for possible variation among eye subtype differentiation. A second aim was to form a basis for comparative studies in order to elucidate evolutionary pathways in eye development. RESULTS We screened the spider embryonic transcriptome for retina determination gene candidates and discovered that all except one of the retinal determination genes have been duplicated. Gene expression analysis shows that the two orthologs of all the genes have different expression patterns. The genes are mainly expressed in the developing optic neuropiles of the eyes (lateral furrow, mushroom body, arcuate body) in earlier stages of development (160 to 220 h after egg laying). Later in development (180 to 280 h after egg laying), there is differential expression of the genes in disparate eye vesicles; for example, Cs-otxa is expressed only in posterior-lateral eye vesicles, Cs-otxb, Cs-six1a, and Cs-six3b in all three secondary eye vesicles, Cs-pax6a only in principal eye vesicles, Cs-six1b in posterior-median, and posterior-lateral eye vesicles, and Cs-six3a in lateral and principal eye vesicles. CONCLUSIONS Principle eye development shows pax6a (ey) expression, suggesting pax6 dependence, although secondary eyes develop independently of pax6 genes and show differential expression of several retinal determination genes. Comparing this with the other arthropods suggests that pax6-dependent median eye development is a ground pattern of eye development in this group and that the ocelli of insects, the median eyes of chelicerates, and nauplius eyes can be homologised. The expression pattern of the investigated genes makes it possible to distinguish between secondary eyes and principal eyes. Differences of gene expression among the different lateral eyes indicate disparate function combined with genetic drift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyli Samadi
- Department of Neurobiology, Centre for Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Axel Schmid
- Department of Neurobiology, Centre for Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bo Joakim Eriksson
- Department of Neurobiology, Centre for Organismal Systems Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Katayama M, Kishimoto-Yamada K, Tanaka HO, Endo T, Hashimoto Y, Yamane S, Itioka T. Negative Correlation between Ant and Spider Abundances in the Canopy of a Bornean Tropical Rain Forest. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Motoki Katayama
- Graduate School of Human and Environment Studies; Kyoto University; Kyoto Japan
| | - Keiko Kishimoto-Yamada
- Graduate School of Human and Environment Studies; Kyoto University; Kyoto Japan
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; The University of Tokyo; Tokyo Japan
| | - Hiroshi O. Tanaka
- Graduate School of Human and Environment Studies; Kyoto University; Kyoto Japan
| | - Tomoji Endo
- School of Human Science; Kobe College; Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Hashimoto
- Division of Phylogenetics; Institute of Natural and Environmental Sciences; University of Hyogo/Museum of Nature and Human Activities; Hyogo Sanda Japan
| | - Seiki Yamane
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering; Kagoshima University; Kagoshima Japan
| | - Takao Itioka
- Graduate School of Human and Environment Studies; Kyoto University; Kyoto Japan
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McGinley RH, Mendez V, Taylor PW. Natural history and display behaviour of Servaea incana, a common and widespread Australian jumping spider (Araneae : Salticidae). AUST J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/zo15032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The natural history and intraspecific interactions of Servaea incana, a common jumping spider of temperate Australia, are described. S. incana inhabits the trunks of eucalypt trees, where it builds silken retreats and nests under loose bark. Like other jumping spiders, S. incana males use elaborate visual displays (Type I courtship) when they encounter females in the open. Male jumping spiders usually rely on silk-borne vibrations to communicate with females residing within retreats and nests (Type II courtship). S. incana often uses visual displays in this context, because the thin silken walls allow conspecifics to see each other. Adult males that encounter subadult females at retreats sometimes build their own retreat nearby and cohabit until the subadult female moults to maturity, copulating shortly afterwards. Adult females and immature stages of both sexes possess similar display repertoires that contain fewer display elements than the repertoire of males. We found no evidence that visual displays of S. incana contain seismic elements, in contrast to some of its closest relatives. S. incana preys upon a variety of small arthropods and, unusually amongst salticids, ants make up a large portion of the diet. Identified enemies of S. incana include spiders, a pompilid wasp and a mantispid.
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Menda G, Shamble P, Nitzany E, Golden J, Hoy R. Visual Perception in the Brain of a Jumping Spider. Curr Biol 2014; 24:2580-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Tyrrell LP, Butler SR, Yorzinski JL, Fernández-Juricic E. A novel system for bi-ocular eye-tracking in vertebrates with laterally placed eyes. Methods Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luke P. Tyrrell
- Department of Biological Sciences; Purdue University; 915 W. State St. West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Shannon R. Butler
- Department of Biological Sciences; Purdue University; 915 W. State St. West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Jessica L. Yorzinski
- Department of Biological Sciences; Purdue University; 915 W. State St. West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
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Campione E, Schmid A. Brightness discrimination in the day- and night-adapted wandering spider Cupiennius salei. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:2704-9. [PMID: 24803470 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.103366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cupiennius salei is a nocturnal spider with eight eyes, which undergo a remarkable circadian cycle: the rhabdomeric membrane of the photoreceptor cells is dismantled during the day and rebuilt at the beginning of the night. Such drastic changes might influence the brightness discrimination ability. We tested this hypothesis by presenting square-shaped flickering stimuli with certain luminances on stationary backgrounds with other luminances to spiders with day- or night-adapted eyes. When the spider, through its three pairs of so-called secondary eyes, perceives a visible contrast between the stimulus and the background, its principal eye muscle activity should increase. We therefore recorded this activity in vivo to assess the brightness discrimination ability of Cupiennius salei. Our results show that this spider has good brightness discrimination ability, which is significantly better with dark-adapted eyes. A Michelson contrast of 0.1 to 0.2 at night, and of 0.2 to 0.3 for day-adapted eyes, is sufficient to elicit a significant response, except below a critical value of luminance (~16 cd m(-2)), where the minimal perceivable contrast needs to be higher. In the Discussion we compare these performances with those of other animals, in particular with jumping spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Campione
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Axel Schmid
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
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González-Martín-Moro J, Gómez-Sanz F, Sales-Sanz A, Huguet-Baudin E, Murube-del-Castillo J. Pupil shape in the animal kingdom: from the pseudopupil to the vertical pupil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 89:484-94. [PMID: 24951324 DOI: 10.1016/j.oftal.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the different pupil shapes adopted by the different animal species. MATERIAL AND METHODS Review of the related literature, using PubMed database. The initial search strategy was pupil shape (limited to animals). The first volume of System of Ophthalmology (Duke-Elder) and Evolution's witness (I. Schwab) were also reviewed. RESULTS An optic illusion called pseudopupil is usually observed in the compound eyes of insects. The pupil is circular in most vertebrates, however slit vertical pupils are present in cats and in some snake species. Vertical pupils could have a photoprotective function, as it makes a more complete closure possible in photopic conditions, and helps to camouflage the predator. It has also been hypothesized that it could help to correct chromatic aberration. Ruminants are usually endowed with horizontal pupils. This shape could improve the capacity of the eye to detect vertical silhouettes. Some marine animals have crescent-shaped pupils. In these animals, a superior operculum helps to protect the inferior retina from the great amount of light coming from above. CONCLUSION There is a surprising variability in pupil shape. Through this variability, nature has fitted the eye to different circumstances. The theories proposed to explain this high variability are discussed in detail in the article.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - F Gómez-Sanz
- Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Universitario del Henares, Coslada, Madrid, España
| | - A Sales-Sanz
- Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España
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Dolev Y, Nelson XJ. Innate pattern recognition and categorization in a jumping spider. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97819. [PMID: 24893306 PMCID: PMC4043668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The East African jumping spider Evarcha culicivora feeds indirectly on vertebrate blood by preferentially preying upon blood-fed Anopheles mosquitoes, the vectors of human malaria1, using the distinct resting posture and engorged abdomen characteristic of these specific prey as key elements for their recognition. To understand perceptual categorization of objects by these spiders, we investigated their predatory behavior toward different digital stimuli - abstract ‘stick figure’ representations of Anopheles constructed solely by known key identification elements, disarranged versions of these, as well as non-prey items and detailed images of alternative prey. We hypothesized that the abstract images representing Anopheles would be perceived as potential prey, and would be preferred to those of non-preferred prey. Spiders perceived the abstract stick figures of Anopheles specifically as their preferred prey, attacking them significantly more often than non-preferred prey, even when the comprising elements of the Anopheles stick figures were disarranged and disconnected from each other. However, if the relative angles between the elements of the disconnected stick figures of Anopheles were altered, the otherwise identical set of elements was no longer perceived as prey. These data show that E. culicivora is capable of making discriminations based on abstract concepts, such as the hypothetical angle formed by discontinuous elements. It is this inter-element angle rather than resting posture that is important for correct identification of Anopheles. Our results provide a glimpse of the underlying processes of object recognition in animals with minute brains, and suggest that these spiders use a local processing approach for object recognition, rather than a holistic or global approach. This study provides an excellent basis for a comparative analysis on feature extraction and detection by animals as diverse as bees and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinnon Dolev
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Ximena J. Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Nørgaard T, Gagnon YL, Warrant EJ. Nocturnal homing: learning walks in a wandering spider? PLoS One 2012; 7:e49263. [PMID: 23145137 PMCID: PMC3492270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Homing by the nocturnal Namib Desert spider Leucorchestris arenicola (Araneae: Sparassidae) is comparable to homing in diurnal bees, wasps and ants in terms of path length and layout. The spiders' homing is based on vision but their basic navigational strategy is unclear. Diurnal homing insects use memorised views of their home in snapshot matching strategies. The insects learn the visual scenery identifying their nest location during learning flights (e.g. bees and wasps) or walks (ants). These learning flights and walks are stereotyped movement patterns clearly different from other movement behaviours. If the visual homing of L. arenicola is also based on an image matching strategy they are likely to exhibit learning walks similar to diurnal insects. To explore this possibility we recorded departures of spiders from a new burrow in an unfamiliar area with infrared cameras and analysed their paths using computer tracking techniques. We found that L. arenicola performs distinct stereotyped movement patterns during the first part of their departures in an unfamiliar area and that they seem to learn the appearance of their home during these movement patterns. We conclude that the spiders perform learning walks and this strongly suggests that L. arenicola uses a visual memory of the burrow location when homing.
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Bednarski JV, Taylor P, Jakob EM. Optical cues used in predation by jumping spiders, Phidippus audax (Araneae, Salticidae). Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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