George W. Uetz Professor Ph.D., University of Illinois Animal Behavior, Behavioral Ecology, & Arachnology

Wolf spider communication project - Visual Signals

 Visual signals of wolf spiders may be static (e.g., morphological features, decorations, color patterns) or dynamic (e.g., simple or complex behavioral displaysusing body movements, leg-waving, tapping).   The most noticeable static trait in adult male S. ocreata are the conspicuous tufts of bristles on the forelegs.  These bristles may serve as an "amplifier" trait that draws attention to the courtship displays of males (Hebets and Uetz 2000), or may serve as an "indicator" trait that reflects male condition (Uetz et al. 2002).

 Click here for an example of male courtship. (the files is a 569KB download .avi file that will open in a new window)

 Male courtship displays are dynamic signals, and involve a number of body movements and leg tapping behaviors. Male courtship in S. ocreata is highly active and energetically expensive, and may serve as an indicator of male condition.In this video, the male exhibits the characteristic "jerky tapping" display.

Back to the Wolf Spider Communication Project

Home | Courses |  Publications | Research Associates | Current Students | CV | Spider & Behavior Links | Site Map

 Research: 1. Wolf Spider Research | 2. Colonial Web-Building Spiders Research | 3. El Niño Influence on Colonial Web-Building Spiders. |  4. Impact of a Ecosystem Disturbance on Spider Populations and Communities