Unique behaviour of jumping spider observed

Mangaluru: Jumping spiders, especially salticids, do not build their own webs. They relax under or on leaves and build a web only for dragline. Araneidae—popularly known as orb-weaver spiders—are known to build beautiful webs during the night and this web is only for catching prey. On the other hand, salticids or jumping spiders, jump on their prey.
A team of researchers including David E Hill from the US, Dr Abhijith A P C, a doctor and a agriculturist from Indraprastha Organic Farm, Mysuru, Prashantha Krishna, an engineer from Kasaragod and Sanath Ramesh an MSc entomology student from Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada, in their paper ‘Construction of orb webs by jumping spiders,’ published in Peckhamia—early this month, have observed jumping spider in mid-web for nocturnal retreats.

Speaking to TOI, Dr Abhijith said, “we have discovered a small salticid tentatively identified as Anarrhotus species— relative of Malaysian species Anarrhotus Fossulatus. The orb- webs constructed by these spiders appear to be occupied only during the night, and there is no evidence to suggest that they play a role in the capture of prey. Both juveniles and adults have been observed in these orb-webs.

Each orb-web is comprised of a platform of silt laid down at the hub of a series of silk lines, radiating from this hub in a largely vertical plane. At night, these salticids rest on this platform. “The web construction is not as beautiful as orb weavers. It has simple suspended webs that it has created to lie only in the night. This probably gives the spider a 360-degree view, when resting mid web, or it is just to escape from others by getting camouflaged in its own web. From Goa to Kerala we have observed these spiders. The next paper will have more other interesting findings of the same species,” said Dr Abhijith.

This observation is crucial and can be a major breakthrough for other observations in the future. Future studies could depend on this. Only 30 per cent of the total spider population builds webs, explained Dr Abhijith.