Spider Behaviour: Flexibility and Versatility

Spiders are often underestimated as suitable behavioral models because of the general belief that due to their small brains their behavior is innate and mostly invariable. Challenging this assumption, this fascinating book shows that rather than having a limited behavioral repertoire, spiders show surprising cognitive abilities, changing their behavior to suit their situational needs. The team of authors unravels the considerable intra-specific as well as intra-individual variability and plasticity in different behaviors ranging from foraging and web building to communication and courtship. An introductory chapter on spider biology, systematics and evolution provides the reader with the necessary background information to understand the discussed behaviors and helps to place them into an evolutionary context. Highlighting an under-explored area of behavior, this book will provide new ideas for behavioral researchers and students unfamiliar with spiders as well as a valuable resource for those already working in this intriguing field.

Marie Elisabeth Herberstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University, Sydney. Her research investigates a range of behaviours in spiders including web building, learning, mating (including sexual cannibalism) and the use of deceptive signals.