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for an additional one hour before the introduction of
the R. santrita predators. Containers were checked at
predetermined intervals for prey mortality for a total of
24 hours. Preliminary data analysis indicates that regard-
less of whether predator cues were present or not, intact
individuals always survived longer than autotomized indi-
viduals. When predator cues were present, both intact and
autotomized P. valens survived longer than when cues
were not present. Autotomy appeared to negatively affect
a preys’ ability to survive predation events, most likely as
a result of decreased locomotory capability. When cues
were present, spiders survive longer, possibly indicating
that prey spiders may use chemosensory information from
their environment to alter their anti-predator behavior.
Keywords: predator-prey interactions autotomy, Pardosa
valens, Rabidosa santrita, chemical cues
Student - oral presentation
Neuroplasticity in a jumping spider
*Philip O. M. Steinhoff1, Jannis Liedtke2, Andy Sombke3,
Steffen Harzsch4, Jutta M. Schneider2 , Gabriele Uhl1
1Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Sys-
tematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Anklamer
Str. 20, 17489 Greifswald; 2Zoological Institute,
Behavioural Biology, University of Hamburg, Martin-
Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany;
3Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and
Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald,
Soldmannstrasse 23, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
Behavioral plasticity is usually associated with neuroplas-
ticity, as changes in brain anatomy can be necessary for
an organism to cope with changes in the environment. In
some hymenopteran species, volume changes in specific
brain areas have been found that are linked to learning,
experience and formation of memory. Jumping spiders are
known for a wide array of complex behaviors. Previous
studies have shown that salticids possess extraordinary
cognitive abilities including planning, learning and rever-
sal learning. However, the underlying brain structures
which enable them to exhibit such flexible behaviors are
basically unknown. We explored the nervous system of
the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa and compared the
volumes of higher integrating brain structures of indi-
viduals that grew up in four different environments: 1)
wild-caught spiders, 2) spiders reared alone in a deprived
setup, 3) spiders reared alone in an enriched setup, and
4) spiders reared in groups of several siblings. Our results
demonstrate that neuroplasticity occurs in spiders and that
brain structures in Marpissa muscosa plastically respond
to the environment the individual is confronted with.
Keywords: neuroplasticity, volumetric measurements,
microCT analysis, developmental plasticity
Student - poster presentation
Brain structure of the jumping spider Marpissa
muscosa(Arachnida: Salticidae), an arthro-
pod with extraordinary cognitive abilities
Philip O. M. Steinhoff1 , Jannis Liedtke2, Andy Sombke3 ,
Steffen Harzsch3, Jutta M. Schneider2, Gabriele Uhl1
1Zoological Institute and Museum, General and
Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Anklamer
Str. 20, 17489 Greifswald; 2 Zoological Institute,
Behavioural Biology, University of Hamburg, Martin-
Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany;
3Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and
Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Sold-
mannstrasse 23, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
Jumping spiders are known for their extraordinary cogni-
tive abilities. Here, we explore and describe the anatomy
of the brain in the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa by
means of paraffin histology, microCT, immunohistochem-
istry and whole-mount immunolabeling. Specifically,
we focus on different neuropils, as they are processing
and integrating centers of the brain. The brain is the
dominating structure within the prosoma. The brain is
compartmentalized into a number of different neuropils
that possess specific qualities. The most anterior part of
the brain (protocerebrum) of M. muscosa comprises
seven paired neuropils and one unpaired midline neuro-
pil (arcuate body). Further ventral, the brain includes a
pair of cheliceral- (deutocerebrum) and a pair of pedi-
palpal neuropils (tritocerebrum). All neuropils show a
184 DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE REPORTS | No. 3, July 2, 2016
Cushing