1994/10/01 by Catherine L. Craig, Kathryn Ebert · 5 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Plant and animal studies #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
paper · doi:10.2307/2389923
openalex publication_date 1994/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
1. We used grass shields to manipulate the visibility of a large, brightly coloured, orb web-spinning spider. The shields hid spiders from prey approaching from one direction but spider visibility was enhanced, owing to the great contrast between the spider and the shield background, for prey approaching from the opposite direction. Open rings were positioned in front of spiders designated as controls. 2. Early in the rainy season, prey capture was slightly but significantly higher at webs where the visibility of one side of the spider was enhanced (or hidden). Later in the rainy season when insect abundance dropped, more pollinating insects were attracted by the spider's ultraviolet (UV)-reflecting, dorsal surface than the spider's brown and yellow venter. 3. These data suggest that the coloured and patterned body surfaces of Argiope argentata affect the rate and types of prey spiders capture. The importance of the colour patterns, however, varies with the abundance and type of insects in the area in which the spider is foraging.