20th International Congress of Arachnology

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iridescent markings that are used sexual selection. These
make salticids exceptional models for the study of evolu-
tion of color communication, and of animal signaling
in general. However, a lack of proper foundation on how
salticids perceive, integrate and process colors from prey
and conspecifics makes it difficult to develop the study
of coloration of salticids and their prey arthropods in a
rigorous and coherent manner. In this paper, we therefore
review the state of current research, present the challenges,
and urge for collaboration to develop a framework for the
study of salticid coloration and sensory ecology.
Keywords: jumping spiders, vision, color, visual modeling,
sensory ecology
Poster presentation
Autotomy and surface incline interactively
affect movement in pholcid spiders
Moriah Thompson 1, Todd D. Levine 2, Kerri M. Wrinn 3,
Gary W. Gerald1
1Department of Biology, Nebraska Wesleyan
University, Lincoln, NE 68504; 2Department of
Biology, Carroll University, Waukesha, WI 53186;
3Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Rock
County, Janesville, WI 53546
Autotomy of limbs is a common trait across many arachnid
taxa that allows animals to escape from dangerous situa-
tions. Isolating and identifying the effects of autotomy is
often undertaken in the lab, but choosing ecologically
relevant ways to measure these effects can be challeng-
ing. Building on previous studies of pholcid spiders, we
examined the effects of autotomy on spiders traveling on
surfaces at different angles. Using a repeated measures
design, we examined maximum speed, stride length, stride
cycle and duty cycle of both spiders with all eight legs
intact and spiders with an autotomized leg. Speed declined
with increasing angle of the surface and with autotomy. A
variety of changes in stride kinematics were observed for
autotomized spiders as compared to intact spiders, which
we believe is likely due to compensation for a missing leg.
Overall, our data suggest that the angle of the surface on
which spiders move is an important part of the ecological
context in which autotomy occurs. The orientation of sur-
faces in natural habitats is likely to determine the ways in
which spiders will react to the loss of a limb. While many
spiders are able to regrow autotomized limbs, pholcids are
not. The ability to compensate for limb loss may ameliorate
selective forces that maintain regeneration in other spiders.
Keywords: autotomy, regeneration, locomotion, kine-
matics, Pholcidae
Student - Poster presentation
How citizen scientists help scientists to do
real scientific researches on arachnology?—
A case of spider survey in Taiwan
Ying-Yuan Lo1,2, Wen-Chun Huang 3 , Chueh Hou4
1Endemic Species Research Institute, Jiji, Nantou,
Taiwan; 2 Department of Life Science, National Taiwan
Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Lu-Yeh Junior high
school, Taitung, Taiwan; 4Taipei Zoo, Taipei, Taiwan
The information of species-richness and distribution from
local to global is important for biodiversity conservation.
However, to evaluate biodiversity status is difficult because
that we must input large time and financial aid. Recently,
we had an opportunity to overcome the difficulty by using
a citizen science approach that could help scientists
to address large-scale data and has made substantive
contributions to ecological research and environmental
management. Here we report on the citizen scientists who
participated in the public project about a spider survey in
Taiwan, how to facilitate spider investigation, specimen
sampling and scientific education. We assembled records
from citizen scientists using social network platform
(Facebook group) and framed systematic investigation in
regular sampling area every year. It helped us to accumu-
late great amount of data about spider diversity rapidly
in large spatial and long time scale, to obtain specimens
to help us to clarify taxonomic problem. The data is all
public and shared according to principle of open data
that made spiders have more attention by crowd. Notably,
there are still some constraints and weakness we need to
overcome in the future, therefore it should be cautious
when using citizen science approach on Araneae studies.
126 DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE REPORTS | No. 3, July 2, 2016
Cushing