Relative size matters: Eyespots on large insect prey deter small arthropod predators

Circular chromatic patterns that appear to resemble vertebrate eyes (“eyespots”) are commonplace in the animal kingdom and are widely believed to have evolved as an anti-predator defence. For example, experiments have shown that eyespots on caterpillar-like pastry baits can deter predation by domestic chicks. However, little is known about the extent to which eyespots deter (or promote) attack by arthropod predators. Here we describe two separate experiments in which salticid spiders (Salticus scenicus) and Chinese mantids (Tenodera sinensis) were presented with a choice of mealworm (Tenibrio molitor) larvae with or without eyespots. In a complementary experiment we observed the time taken for adult Chinese mantids to attack hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculata) larvae of two different sizes, with and without eyespots. All three experiments indicate that eyespots on insect larvae can deter predation, so long as the larvae with eyespots are sufficiently large compared to the size of the art..., , # Relative size matters: Eyespots on large insect prey deter small arthropod predators

Three separate experiments were conducted to assess whether eyespots on insect larvae detered predation by arthropod predators.

**Experiment 1** presented mealworms with and without eyespots to zebra jumping spiders (*Salticus scenicus*) of different sizes in a binary choice experiment.
The variable names in the spider binary choice dataset are as follows:

* spider: spider ID (1-50)
* size: the spider's total body length in mm
* Neither0Eye1NoEye2: code for the type of mealworm attacked by the spider in its binary choice (0 - neither, 1 - eyespotted, not eyespotted)

**Experiment 2** presented mealworms with and without eyespots to Chinese mantis (*Tenodera sinensis*) of different sizes in a binary choice experiment.
The variable names in the spider binary choice dataset are as follows:

* Individual: the individual mantis (1-80)
* Instar: its instar (3-6)
* Neither0Eye1NoEye2: code for the type o...,