Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Journal of Chemical Ecology

Publication Date

9-1-2012

Abstract

Evarcha culicivora, an East African jumping spider (Salticidae), is the only spider for which there is evidence of innate olfactory affinity for particular plant species. Evarcha culicivora also actively chooses as preferred prey the females of Anopheles mosquitoes, and both sexes of Anopheles are known to visit plants for nectar meals. Here, we identified compounds present in the headspace of one of these species in Kenya, Lantana camara, and then used 11 of these compounds in olfactometer experiments. Our findings show that three terpenes [(E)-β-caryophyllene, α-humulene and 1,8 cineole] can be discriminated by, and are salient to, E. culicivora. The spiders experienced no prior training with plants or the compounds we used. This is the first experimental demonstration of specific phytochemicals being innately attractive to a spider, a group normally characterized as predators. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Keywords

Evarcha culicivora, Lantana camara, Plant volatiles, Plant-arthropod interactions, Salticidae, Sensory ecology

PubMed ID

22914959

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