Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider

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  Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider ABSTRACT Sex differences in behavior and functional traits are often attributed to differences in mating effort intensity, but the role of sex-specific parental demands remains poorly understood. Using the jumping spider Toxeus maxillosus —where males engage in mate searching and courtship without providing parental care, while females provide extended maternal care from egg attendance to offspring maturity (around 3 months)—we conducted an exploratory investigation into whether these distinct selective pressures led to divergence in spatial behaviors and nest architecture. Results revealed that males and females showed equivalent accuracy, latency, and learning-related performance in both a route-planning test under water stress and a color-pattern associative memory task. In contrast, during nest-construction assays, females built complex, multi-entrance structures that closely matched the container'...

Drinking to the last drop! Record of honeydew consumption by a ghost spider (Araneae: Anyphaenidae) in an urban environment in southeastern Brazil

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Drinking to the last drop! Record of honeydew consumption by a ghost spider (Araneae: Anyphaenidae) in an urban environment in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

This study documents, for the first time, the consumption of honeydew by a spider of the genus Aysha (Anyphaenidae) in an urban environment in southeastern Brazil. Spiders are generalist predators, but some species exploit non-prey food sources, such as nectar and honeydew. The observation took place on Cinnamomum verum, an exotic tree frequently infested by the leafhopper Aethalion reticulatum, which produces honeydew consumed by various insects. A female Aysha was observed ingesting honeydew droplets trapped on silk threads of a web belonging to an unknown spider located below a colony of A. reticulatum, over three consecutive nights, suggesting that this food resource may represent a supplementary diet, which may benefit the spiders particularly during periods of prey scarcity. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of this resource in spider feeding ecology.
Oliveira, G. C., Demetrio, G. R., Jacques, G. C., Silva, I. H., Souza, M. M., & Brescovit, A. D. (2025). Drinking to the last drop! Record of honeydew consumption by a ghost spider (Araneae: Anyphaenidae) in an urban environment in southeastern Brazil. Food Webs, 44, e00406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00406