No ontogenetic shift in the realised trophic niche but in Batesian mimicry in an ant-eating spider

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F20%3A00114511" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/20:00114511 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-58281-3" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-58281-3</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58281-3" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-020-58281-3</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

No ontogenetic shift in the realised trophic niche but in Batesian mimicry in an ant-eating spider

Original language description

In predators an ontogenetic trophic shift includes change from small to large prey of several different taxa. In myrmecophagous predators that are also mimics of ants, the ontogenetic trophic shift should be accompanied by a parallel mimetic change. Our aim was to test whether ant-eating jumping spider, Mexcala elegans, is myrmecomorphic throughout their ontogenetic development, and whether there is an ontogenetic shift in realised trophic niche and their mimetic models. We performed field observations on the association of Mexcala with ant species and investigated the natural prey of the ontogenetic classes by means of molecular methods. Then we measured the mimetic similarity of ontogenetic morphs to putative mimetic models. We found Mexcala is an inaccurate mimic of ants both in the juvenile and adult stages. During ontogenesis it shifts mimetic models. The mimetic similarity was rather superficial, so an average bird predator should distinguish spiders from ants based on colouration. The realised trophic niche was narrow, composed mainly of ants of different species. There was no significant difference in the prey composition between ontogenetic stages. Females were more stenophagous than juveniles. We conclude that Mexcala is an ant-eating specialist that reduces its prey spectrum and shifts ant models during ontogenesis.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10700 - Other natural sciences

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA19-09323S" target="_blank" >GA19-09323S: Mimetic complexes and the evolution of inaccurate mimics</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2020

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Scientific reports

ISSN

2045-2322

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

10

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

„1250“

UT code for WoS article

000559997900004

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85078327363