Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are well known for their highly visual and often vibrant displays initiated by males. These displays can occur while males are searching for potential mates and encounter another male (intrasexual), or when males interact with a female (intersexual). While these displays have been widely reported in the literature, the differences between behavioural repertoires for these encounters is still not well understood. Here we described and quantified the repertoire of different behaviour used in intra- and intersexual visual communication (non-aggressive and aggressive) exhibited by males and females during two types of interactions, male-male (n = 12) and male-female (n = 16), of the sun jumping spider, Helafricanus fascinatus Wesolowska, 1986. From the 28 different pairings, we found differences in the types of behaviour exhibited along with the corresponding duration performed by males during male-male and male-female interactions. While in the presence of another male, H. fascinatus males exhibited a higher proportion of “display” behaviour as a potential form of assessment of opponent, intimidation and/or threat display, whereas in the presence of females, males were more likely to use “movement” behaviour which may allow males to capture and retain the attention of females and potentially reduce the distance between spiders. Interestingly, during male-female interactions, males exhibited higher proportions of aggressive behaviour while courting females. For copulation success, neither body size nor body condition correlated with copulations in male-female pairings. We discuss our results in the context of intra- and intersexual interactions and how males may shift their behavioural repertoires depending on the sex.
Vickers, M.E., Booysen, R. & Haddad, C.R. Differences in Behavioural Responses in Intra- and Intersexual Interactions of the Sun Jumping Spider, Helafricanus fascinatus, in South Africa. J Insect Behav 38, 30 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-025-09894-x