Predator-prey coevolution: Australian native bees avoid their spider predators.

A M Heiling; M E Herberstein

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2003.0138

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PubMed · 15252982

Predator-prey coevolution: Australian native bees avoid their spider predators.

A M Heiling·M E Herberstein

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Abstract

Australian crab spiders Thomisus spectabilis manipulate visual flower signals to lure introduced Apis mellifera. We gave Australian native bees, Austroplebia australis, the choice between two white daisies, Chrysanthemum frutescens, one of them occupied by a crab spider. The colour contrast between flowers and spiders affected the behaviour of native bees. Native bees approached spider-occupied flowers more frequently. However, native bees avoided flowers occupied by spiders and landed on vacant flowers more frequently. In contrast to honeybees that did not coevolve with T. spectabilis, Australian native bees show an anti-predatory response to avoid flowers occupied by this predator.

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Animals Australia Bees Biological Evolution Chrysanthemum Color Contrast Sensitivity Cues Flowers Odorants Predatory Behavior Species Specificity Spectrophotometry Spiders Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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A M Heiling, M E Herberstein. 2004-05-07. Predator-prey coevolution: Australian native bees avoid their spider predators.. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2003.0138

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