Evarcha culicivora
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| Evarcha culicivora Wesolowska & Jackson, 2003 |
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Evarcha culicivora is a species of jumping spider from Kenya.
It feeds mainly on the mosquito species Anopheles gambiae, the main vector of malaria in the region.
It is the only known animal that selects its prey based on what the latter has eaten. Although jumping spiders are known to rely extremely on vision, it was shown that this species selects blood-filled mosquitos more often than unfed ones, even more so when only relying on smell (90%, as opposed to 83%)[1]: when it came to making a choice based on smell alone, with the two meal options hidden from view, around 90 percent of the E. culicivora selected the blood-filled mosquito. However, it seems to select its preferred species by its resting posture, as different kinds of mosquitoes sit in different angles. This has been shown with 3D-animations of different resting postures.[2]
The species is only known around Lake Victoria in Kenya and Uganda.
[edit] References
- ^ National Geographic (2005): African Spider Craves Human Blood, Scientists Find (with picture)
- ^ Nelson, X.J. & Jackson, R.R. (2006). A Predator from East Africa that Chooses Malaria Vectors as Preferred Prey. PLoS ONE 1(1):e132. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0000132
[edit] Further reading
- Nelson, X. J.; Jackson, R. R. & Sune, G. O. (2005): Use of Anopheles-specific prey-capture behavior by the small juveniles of Evarcha culicivora, a mosquito-eating jumping spider. Journal of Arachnology 33: 541-548. PDF fulltext
