Males discriminate between substrate-borne cues of conspecific females based on age and mating status in the jumping spider, Habronattus brunneus

Sexual selection is often studied with a focus on female mate choice, wherein females evaluate male signals to select an optimal mate. However, in some systems, males should also make careful decisions about the females they choose to court, particularly when faced with the risk of precopulatory sexual cannibalism. Here, we explore the idea that male jumping spiders (Habronattus brunneus) may mitigate this risk by responding to female cues likely associated with female aggression and/or receptivity. We tested mature male spiders’ ability to discriminate between substrate-borne cues (i.e., silk and excreta) produced by conspecific females of different ages and mating statuses. We found that males spent more time exploring cues produced by mature females compared with immature females and more time exploring cues produced by non-mated females compared with mated females. Heightened interest in cues produced by females that are sexually mature but not yet mated may allow males to reduce cannibalism risk, reduce wasted courtship effort, and increase their reproductive success. The use of chemical and/or tactile cues in courtship behavior has been vastly understudied compared with the ways they use vision; this study provides groundwork for understanding how these sensory modalities interact.