Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to
avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry?

J 2020

Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry?

PEKÁR, Stanislav, Luis F. GARCÍA and Matthew W. BULBERT

Basic information

Original name

Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry?

Authors

PEKÁR, Stanislav (703 Slovakia, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Luis F. GARCÍA and Matthew W. BULBERT

Edition

Animal Behaviour, 2020, 0003-3472

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10613 Zoology

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.844

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/20:00114509

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015

UT WoS

000598905300015

Keywords in English

acoustic signal; aposematism; intraspecific interaction; mimicry complex; predation

Abstract

V originále

The importance of vision-reliant defensive traits (e.g. warning colours) in mimicry studies is well established, but their effectiveness is limited by visibility. In low light conditions, for instance, acoustic or tactile channels may be more effective. The juvenile and adult stages of the nocturnal hunting Palpimanus spiders audibly stridulate when harassed. Given this we hypothesized that the sound produced by Palpimanus has a defensive role against interspecific predators. Palpimanus though are poorly defended especially against something as large as a gecko. Hence we hypothesized that the stridulation is effective because the spider mimics co-occurring mutillid wasps. We staged predator feeding experiments in which mutillid wasps, sham-operated Palpimanus, silenced Palpimanus and a nonstridulating spider were offered to Eusparassus spiders and geckoes. Stridulating spiders had significantly greater survival against both predators than the nonstridulating treatments and comparable survival to the mutillid wasps. This result represents the first confirmed case of a spider using stridulation against an interspecific predator. Stridulation deterred Eusparasus spiders, while in geckoes stridulation acted postcapture as they dropped the prey instead of attempting to swallow them. For mutillid wasps this dropping response was typically more rapid than with Palpimanus but attempts to swallow silenced individuals were more frequent than sham-operated individuals, which were more likely to be dropped before any attempt to swallow. Analyses of stridulation characteristics of Palpimanus showed they were similar to acoustic signals of four of the co-occurring mutillid wasps and far more so than distress signals of control insects. Our study overall supports the notion that Palpimanus spiders are Batesian mimics of sympatrically occurring mutillids through the use of an aposematic acoustic signal and not just an example of a startle response.

Links

GA19-09323S, research and development project

Name: Mimetické komplexy a evoluce nepřesných mimetiků

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

PEKÁR, Stanislav, Luis F. GARCÍA and Matthew W. BULBERT. Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry? Animal Behaviour. 2020, vol. 170, December, p. 157-166. ISSN 0003-3472. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015.

@article{1699517,
   author = {Pekár, Stanislav and García, Luis F. and Bulbert, Matthew W.},
   article_number = {December},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015},
   keywords = {acoustic signal; aposematism; intraspecific interaction; mimicry complex; predation},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0003-3472},
   journal = {Animal Behaviour},
   title = {Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry?},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015},
   volume = {170},
   year = {2020}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1699517
AU  - Pekár, Stanislav - García, Luis F. - Bulbert, Matthew W.
PY  - 2020
TI  - Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry?
JF  - Animal Behaviour
VL  - 170
IS  - December
SP  - 157-166
EP  - 157-166
SN  - 00033472
KW  - acoustic signal
KW  - aposematism
KW  - intraspecific interaction
KW  - mimicry complex
KW  - predation
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015
L2  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015
N2  - The importance of vision-reliant defensive traits (e.g. warning colours) in mimicry studies is well established, but their effectiveness is limited by visibility. In low light conditions, for instance, acoustic or tactile channels may be more effective. The juvenile and adult stages of the nocturnal hunting Palpimanus spiders audibly stridulate when harassed. Given this we hypothesized that the sound produced by Palpimanus has a defensive role against interspecific predators. Palpimanus though are poorly defended especially against something as large as a gecko. Hence we hypothesized that the stridulation is effective because the spider mimics co-occurring mutillid wasps. We staged predator feeding experiments in which mutillid wasps, sham-operated Palpimanus, silenced Palpimanus and a nonstridulating spider were offered to Eusparassus spiders and geckoes. Stridulating spiders had significantly greater survival against both predators than the nonstridulating treatments and comparable survival to the mutillid wasps. This result represents the first confirmed case of a spider using stridulation against an interspecific predator. Stridulation deterred Eusparasus spiders, while in geckoes stridulation acted postcapture as they dropped the prey instead of attempting to swallow them. For mutillid wasps this dropping response was typically more rapid than with Palpimanus but attempts to swallow silenced individuals were more frequent than sham-operated individuals, which were more likely to be dropped before any attempt to swallow. Analyses of stridulation characteristics of Palpimanus showed they were similar to acoustic signals of four of the co-occurring mutillid wasps and far more so than distress signals of control insects. Our study overall supports the notion that Palpimanus spiders are Batesian mimics of sympatrically occurring mutillids through the use of an aposematic acoustic signal and not just an example of a startle response.
ER  -

PEKÁR, Stanislav, Luis F. GARCÍA and Matthew W. BULBERT. Spiders mimic the acoustic signalling of mutillid wasps to avoid predation: startle signalling or Batesian mimicry? \textit{Animal Behaviour}. 2020, vol.~170, December, p.~157-166. ISSN~0003-3472. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.015.

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