ABSTRACT
Spiders are a large group of arthropods and nearly omnipresent in warm and temperate climates. They rely on tactile and visual information to hunt and breed, but compared with their mechanical senses, little is known about their visual systems. In this study, we analyzed the visual spectral sensitivity of the Chilean recluse spider Loxosceles laeta, a synanthropic species posing a significant threat to humans, using electroretinogram recordings of its three eye types and open field tests with localized chromatic illumination for behavioral analysis. The electroretinogram displayed two sensitivity peaks in the ultraviolet and green ranges, and no differences were observed between the three eye types and between male and female specimens. Selective chromatic adaptation reduced overall light sensitivity, but did not support the expression of more than one type of rhodopsin in photoreceptors. The open field tests revealed a preference for corners over side areas, and an increased exploration of open field areas illuminated by shorter wavelength (violet to green) light compared with non-illuminated areas, while no behavioral responses to red and near-infrared light were observed. These data suggest that L. laeta has monochromatic vision without spectral specializations in its three secondary eye pairs.
FOOTNOTES
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing or financial interests.
Author contributions
Conceptualization: O.S., F.T., J.O.; Methodology: F.T.; Software: F.T.; Validation: F.T.; Formal analysis: F.T.; Investigation: O.S., F.T., J.O.; Resources: O.S.; Data curation: F.T.; Writing - original draft: O.S., F.T., J.O.; Writing - review & editing: O.S., F.T., J.O.; Supervision: O.S.; Project administration: O.S.; Funding acquisition: O.S.
Funding
This study was supported by FONDECYT (grant no. 1171228), CONICYT PhD scholarship (F.T.) and the Millennium Institute Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience of Valparaíso (CINV: grant no. ICM P09-022-F).
Supplementary information
Supplementary information available online at http://jeb.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jeb.217133.supplemental
- Received October 22, 2019.
- Accepted December 10, 2019.
- © 2020. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 1 day for US$30.00 .
Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.
Article navigation
Related articles
Cited by...
More in this TOC section
Similar articles
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
Announcing JEB's 2019 Outstanding Paper Prize
Congratulations to all of the authors whose papers were shortlisted for the 2019 JEB Outstanding Paper Prize. This year we had a great selection of papers and the final winners were Kephra Beckett and Anne Roberts, from the University of British Columbia, Canada, for their work on spittlebug breathing in xylem sap foam.
How to turn an organism into a model organism in 10 ‘easy’ steps
Many of the major biological discoveries of the 20th century were made using ‘the big 6’ model organisms. Based on their own experience with the Aedes aegypti mosquito, Benjamin Matthews and Leslie Vosshall provide a checklist showing how other new species can be added to this roster. All articles in the new Special Issue are now online and free to read.
Travelling Fellowship deadline: 6 March
The next Travelling Fellowship deadline is approaching! Apply by 6 March to take your research abroad. In 2014, Sridhar Ravi did exactly that and earlier this year published a paper about the mechanics of hummingbird flight using data gathered on the trip. Read his full story to find out more.
JEB appoints new Editor-in-Chief
We are delighted to announce that Craig Franklin (University of Queensland, Australia) has been appointed as the next EiC of JEB, starting on 1 August. With research interests in animal ecophysiology and conservation physiology, Craig is already familiar with the journal, having been a Monitoring Editor since 2011. We are looking forward to welcoming him in his new role.
The lowdown on Read & Publish
The Company of Biologists is embracing Open Access with a series of pilot Transitional Agreements, known as Read & Publish deals. But, what exactly are they and what are the benefits? Read the full story to find out more.