Chemoreception in a highly visual arthropod: Male jumping spiders (Habronattus brunneus) discriminate between female chemical cues depending on female age, mating status, and species

Jumping spiders are known for their complex courtship displays with both visual and vibratory components, but increasing evidence shows they also use chemoreception in intraspecific communication. In other spider taxa, it has been shown that chemical cues residing in dragline and nest silk can provide male spiders with information about female spiders in the area, including mating status, recent feeding activity, and species of the cue-producer. We conducted a series of experiments using Habronattus brunneus to assess male response to substrate-borne chemical cues produced by conspecific females (H. brunneus) of different ages (juvenile vs. adult) or mating status (mated vs. virgin) and by virgin heterospecific females (H. pyrrithrix, H. hirsutus, or H. trimaculatus). In the first two experiments, we tested the effect of substrate-borne cues produced by conspecifics by allowing males to inspect two pieces of filter paper, one having been exposed to an adult virgin female, and the other to either a juvenile or an adult female that had recently mated. Next, we tested male ability to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific adult virgin females. Males were able to discriminate between females based on age, reproductive status, and species, except when the heterospecific female was of a closely related species (Habronattus pyrrithrix). This suggests that male jumping spiders, although highly visual, also have the sensory and cognitive capacity to adeptly process chemical information related to females, potentially optimizing courtship efforts.