2024/11/01 by Michael Bradley John Kelly, Vanessa Penna‐Gonçalves, Nikolas J. Willmott +4 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/cne.25680
openalex publication_date 2024/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
In Batesian mimicry, mimetic traits are not always as convincing as predicted by theory-in fact, inaccurate mimicry with only a superficial model resemblance is common and taxonomically widespread. The "selection trade-offs hypothesis" proposes a life-history trade-off between accurate mimetic traits and one or more vital biological functions. Here, using an accurate myrmecomorphic (ant-mimicking) jumping spider species, Myrmarachne smaragdina, we investigate how myrmecomorphic modifications to the body shape impact the internal anatomy in a way that could be functionally limiting. Specifically, via x-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT), we quantify how the spider's constricted prosoma, which emulates the head and thorax of ants, impacts the size of the central nervous system (CNS) and the venom glands. Although, relative to their whole-body mass, we found no significant difference in venom gland volume, the CNS of the ant-mimicking jumping spider was significantly smaller when compared with a relatively closely related non-mimic jumping spider, indicating that some trade-off between mimic accuracy and size of neural anatomy, as articulated by the "selection trade-offs hypothesis," is a possibility. Our explorative evidence enables and encourages broader investigation of how variable mimic accuracy impacts the neuroanatomy in ant mimics as a direct test of the "selection trade-offs hypothesis."