Jumping spider invades an orb web to prey on a resident male

Abstract

AbstractWhile surveying operational sex ratios of the giant golden orb weaverNephila pilipes(Fabricius, 1793) in Singapore, we documented a stunning case of predatory behavior of a jumping spiderViciria pavesiiThorell, 1877. A femaleV. pavesiiinvaded aN. pilipesorb web that was occupied by the resident female and four males, and successfully captured, killed, and removed one of theNephilamales. Whether araneophagy inV. pavesiiis opportunistic or a predatory ritual remains to be tested more precisely, but because the observed predatory event triggered an aggressive response by theN. pilipesalpha male, it is plausible thatV. pavesiimay engage in aggressive mimicry. We place our observation into the context of jumping spider cognition and behavioral tactics that are so far well understood only in a few spartaeine genera, notablyPortiaKarsch, 1878.ViciriaThorell, 1877, we argue, is another such jumping spider taxon worthy of behavioral scrutiny.