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> The same species of Portia trapped a few hundred miles away doesn’t show any evidence of seeing the egg sac. Spiders aren't social... but this sounds like cu
by hyperpallium 10y ago
> The same species of Portia trapped a few hundred miles away doesn’t show any evidence of seeing the egg sac.
Spiders aren't social... but this sounds like cultural knowledge, passed on from parents or peers. Or perhaps acquired over a number of encounters (especially the given trial and error Portia exhibits).
- cronjobber 10y agoArticle calls it "undoubtedly...genetic", "a visual skill they are born with." I'd agree. A very generic visual learning apparatus seems less likely than a specialized visual skill to fit into 600k neurons.
- pvaldes 10y agommh... they are social in one moment of its lives that could explain this. Mother and young have a strong bound for a while. I'm just wildly speculating, but a nymph spider sit in the abdomen of their mother could learn what to chase just seeing its mother chasing. "They born with that skill" is a strong candidate, but not the only possibility here. They need to repeat the experiment from spiders raised since eggs if not done before.
- MrJagil 10y agoDo you know how long Portia nymphs are connected with their mothers? Seems like a lot of knowledge to gather before they have even had their own feet on the ground, let alone had their first first solo hunt.
- pvaldes 10y agoIn Portia labiata the juvenile phases from egg to first instar last from 21-36 days (mean: 27 days). (Hallas, 1987)