Conspicuous stripes on prey capture attention and reduce attacks by foraging jumping spiders

Many animals avoid predation using aposematic displays that pair toxic/dangerous defenses with conspicuous achromatic warning patterns, such as high-contrast stripes. To understand how these prey defenses work, we need to understand the decision-making of visual predators. Here we gave two species of jumping spiders (Phidippus regius and Habronattus trimaculatus) choice tests using live termites that had their back patterns manipulated using paper capes (solid white, solid black, striped). For P. regius, black and striped termites were quicker to capture attention. Yet despite this increased attention, striped termites were attacked at lower rates than either white or black. This suggests that the termite’s contrast with the background elicits attention, but the internal striped body patterning reduces attacks. Results from tests with H. trimaculatus were qualitatively similar but did not meet the threshold for statistical significance. Additional exploratory analyses suggest that atten..., All data collection methods are described in the associated manuscript. , , 1. Title of Dataset: Conspicuous stripes on prey capture attention and reduce attacks by foraging jumping spiders
2. Author contact information

A. Name: Lauren Gawel
Institution: University of Florida (former undergraduate student)
Email: [e-mail]

B. Name: Erin Powell
Institutions: University of Florida, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry
Email: [e-mail]

C. Name: Michelle Brock (former undergraduate student)
Institution: University of Florida
Email: [e-mail]

D. Name: Lisa A Taylor (corresponding author)
Institution: University of Florida
Email: [e-mail], [e-mail]

DATA & FILE OVERVIEW

This dataset contains a single Excel file only, entitled DRYAD\_Gawel\_et\_al\_striped\_termites\_2023.xlsx.

METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION

For all methodological details of data collection an...