Spider behavior

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The behavior of spiders is an often neglected topic in the study of arachnology, stemming from the fact that it is much easier to collect dead specimens for later examination than to observe them in their often unaccessible habitat, or to create laboratory conditions suitable for the observation of natural behavior.

[edit] Hunting

Many, but by no way all, spiders build webs. The bolas spiders use a sticky globule, together with a pheromone analogue, to catch moths. Jumping spiders, and many other types of spiders as well, hunt freely. Some of these have enhanced eyesight, sometimes approaching this of a pigeon (although with a much smaller field of vision). Some spiders hunt other spiders; the jumping spider Portia mimics the movement of captured insect prey to attract web building spiders, and then overwhelms them.

[edit] Reproduction

Jumping spiders for example perform elaborate mating dances.

[edit] References

• John Crompton (1954). The Life of the Spider. Mentor Book
• New York Times (1987). The hard life of a Tarantula
• Kaston, B.J. (1965). Some Little Known Aspects of Spider Behavior. American Midland Naturalist 73:2:336-356 Abstract