The planet's biodiversity is full of animals that have the ability to jump far while roaming or capturing prey. In a new study, biology experts identified how this skill is used in male spiders of a particular arachnid species.
The first-ever recorded performance of the spider is not merely for stunt or traveling purposes, as the super-fast jump of the animal is a hidden skill reserved for escaping sexual cannibalism.
These Spiders Catapult Themselves Away from Aggressive Females
High-stakes encounter: the mating of two Philoponella prominens will end with either the male’s rapid exit or his death.
The male spiders from the species of Philoponella prominens were discovered with a unique skill that was unknown until today. These spiders are quipped with strong legs that could make them catapult as high in the air as possible when aggressive female species initiate.
The catapulting skill of male Philoponella prominens was first captured through the help of high-resolution video cameras. From the records, the authors observed that the spiders throw themselves away from aggressive counterparts by folding their front legs and directing their bodies away from females.
Once the folded legs were released, intense hydraulic pressure is given out to induce the expansion of their limbs. When successful, the male spiders propel midair and rotate in a clockwise direction.
The catapult process of male Philoponella prominens is superbly quick that even basic cameras could not capture the sequence. When observed with specialized instruments, these spiders were found to spin at an average of 175 times per second when hovering midair.
Hubei University's State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering and Center for Behavioral Ecology and Evolution specialist Shichang Zhang, who served as the lead author of the study, explained that the first few accounts of these catapult activities were only identified after observing the specified spider species out in nature.
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Philoponella prominens, Communal Spiders, and Sexual Cannibalism
Throughout the investigation, the expert noticed that the skill was associated with how two separate genders of the Philoponella prominens interact for reproductive purposes.
The Philoponella prominens spiders are rare. Until today, there were only 300 individuals of the species confirmed. Many of the Philoponella prominens tend to live in groups but establish their individual spaces in their habitat through constructing each of their own webs.
Zhang said that these spiders are communal compared to most arachnid species. Many web-building spiders build their habitats in solidarity as opposed to the Philoponella prominens, the author continued.
Zhang's team found that 152 out of 155 successful Philoponella prominens matings ended up with male individuals catapulting themselves. The remaining male spiders that did not escape were either killed or eaten. Zhang explained that those that did not evade the attacks were exhausted or did not sense the approaching danger.
Some males even go back to females to try reproductive activities again but only end up catapulting once more after about 30 seconds of interaction.
To confirm how essential the escape mechanisms of Philoponella prominens for their survival, experts blocked the supposed catapulting direction of the male individuals. When they failed to jump off far enough from females, all of them were killed or eaten.
Sexual cannibalism can occur before, after, or during the mating process. It is a rare activity in which female animals usually harm, kill, or eat male partners to prevent them from mating with other females.
Sexual cannibalism is common across spider and scorpion species. Like the catapulting scenario, different animals have various initiatives in order escape. For example, a separate species known as Trichonephila fenestrata have male individuals that sacrifice their front legs during sexual intercourse in order to keep females busy and escape the scene alive.
The study was published in the journal Current Biology, titled "Male spiders avoid sexual cannibalism with a catapult mechanism."
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