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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Title:		Fast acrobatic maneuvers enable arboreal spiders to hunt dangerous prey
Author(s):		Aceves-Aparicio A; Narendra A; McLean DJ; Lowe EC; Christian M; Wolff JO; Schneider JM; Herberstein ME;
Address:		"School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia. Department of Biology, Universitat Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany. Max-Planck-Institut fur Chemische Okologie, Research Group Predators and Toxic Prey Jena, 07745 Germany. Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany"
Journal Title:		Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Year:		2022
Volume:		20220919
Issue:		40
Page Number:		e2205942119 -
DOI:		10.1073/pnas.2205942119
ISSN/ISBN:		1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Print) 0027-8424 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Spiders, the most specious taxon of predators, have evolved an astounding range of predatory strategies, including group hunting, specialized silk traps, pheromone-loaded bolas, and aggressive mimicry. Spiders that hunt prey defended with behavioral, mechanical, or chemical means are under additional selection pressure to avoid injury and death. Ants are considered dangerous because they can harm or kill their predators, but some groups of spiders, such as the Theridiidae, have a very high diversification of ant-hunting species and strategies [J. Liu et al., Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 94, 658-675 (2016)]. Here, we provide detailed behavioral analyses of the highly acrobatic Australian ant-slayer spider, Euryopis umbilicata (Theridiidae), that captures much larger and defended Camponotus ants on vertical tree trunks. The hunting sequence consists of ritualized steps performed within split seconds, resulting in an exceptionally high prey capture success rate"
Keywords:		Animals *Ants Australia Pheromones *Predatory Behavior/physiology Silk *Spiders/physiology Trees coevolution diet;
Notes:		"MedlineAceves-Aparicio, Alfonso Narendra, Ajay McLean, Donald James Lowe, Elizabeth C Christian, Marcelo Wolff, Jonas O Schneider, Jutta M Herberstein, Marie E eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2022/09/20 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Oct 4; 119(40):e2205942119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2205942119. Epub 2022 Sep 19"