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It's a Spider-Eat-Spider World (46)
PDP
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2967 W: 365 N: 3847]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (11725) | Jumping-spiders of the family Salticidae (in this photo, Marpissa muscosa) have excellent vision. They have focussing binocular vision and a thought to be sensitive to colour and polarised light. Members of this family have four forward facing eyes, they also have four eyes on the top of the carapace and these can detect movememnt behind the spider. This can easily be tested by creeping up behind on of these - they will jump around and look at you, often raising the carapace in the process. This can be thought of as cute or scary, depending on your viewpoint.
Salticidae are hunting spiders. They activily search for prey and jump on it. This specimen here has seized a spider, it looks rather like a juvenille nusery-web-spider.
I watched a couple of these hunting yesterday, it was fascinating. I watched one on a fence beam spot a fly (the fly was facing the spider) and) the spider moved into the shade and walked a longway round to approach the fly from behind. Fortunatley for the fly it turned around and see the approaching spider took off. You can see a picture of the final scene here. |
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