Spiders are highly efficient predators in possession of exquisite sensory capacities for
ambushing prey, combined with machinery for launching rapid and determined attacks. As a …

The largest family of spiders, jumping spiders (Salticidae), is known for performing complex
visually mediated predatory and courtship behavior. As cursorial predators, they rely on their …

Colourful ornaments often communicate salient information to mates, and theory predicts
covariance between signal expression and individual quality. This has borne out among …

Sensory drive theory contends that signaling systems should evolve to optimize
transmission between senders and intended receivers, while minimizing visibility to …

In many animals, males display colorful ornaments to females during courtship, the
effectiveness of which depends on the ambient lighting environment. While a variety of …

How animals assess information encoded in individual color patches have been extensively
studied, yet the role of both individual color patches and gross color pattern (ie, the …

Genetic introgression, allele exchange across species boundaries, is a commonly
recognized feature of animal evolution. Under such a paradigm, contemporary contact …

The subject of communication in spiders is of growing interest to animal behaviorists and
evolutionary biologists for many reasons. Communication is critical for spiders, as they are …

Weaponry and color badges are commonly theorized to function as visual signals of
aggressiveness or fighting ability. However, few studies have supported a signaling function …

Highlights•The two male morphs of Maevia inclemens (tufted and striped) look and behave
differently.•For tufted males, we manipulated tuft lengths using false eyelashes.•For striped …