Do green lynx spiders (Peucetia viridans) change color in response to their backgrounds?

For animals that traverse patchy or dynamic backgrounds, morphological color change can help to stay hidden from predators and prey. The green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans) is a sit-and-wait predator that hunts pollinators and other insects among vegetation. In the field, they are often bright green with variable patterns of white, red, orange, yellow, and purple, and individuals often appear well-matched to their backgrounds. A previous study that relied on human observers to assess color suggested these spiders can shift their body colors to match their surroundings. Our goal was to replicate this work using modern reflectance spectrophotometry to quantify spider colors. Across two experiments (in different years), we collected adult female spiders and assigned them to three differently colored backgrounds in the lab. Unexpectedly, we found no evidence that the spiders in our study shifted their colors to match their backgrounds. However, exploratory analyses revealed that color cha..., , , # Data from: Do green lynx spiders (Peucetia viridans) change color in response to their backgrounds?

**GENERAL INFORMATION**

1.      Title of Dataset: Do green lynx spiders (*Peucetia viridans*) change color in response to their backgrounds?

2.      Author contact information:

a.      Name: Michael E. Vickers (corresponding author)

Institution: University of the Free State, University of Florida

Email: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]), [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

b.      Name: Madison L. Heisey

Institution: University of Florida

Email: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

c.      Name: Lisa A. Taylor

Institution: University of Florida

Email: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]), [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

**DATA & FILE OVERVIEW**

This dataset contains three Excel files entitled:

1.      “DRYAD – Green Lynx Experiment Data”

2.      “DRYAD – Green Lynx Raw Spectral ...,