Colorful Dancing Spiders

Arachnologists (spider scientists) are studying how color impacts spider behavior.

Male Coloration

spider on leaf — A male paradise jumping spider dances for a female, showing off his brilliant colors. Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Colorful markings paired with a flashy dance might tell a female jumping spider that a male is the right species, and ready to mate.

Colors give females subtle information and only males in the best health, that are the best foragers, or that have the best genes will be able to produce the brightest colors.

So, females should pay attention. Males provide no parental care, so all they can offer to females is good quality genes to pass along to their offspring. Females only need to mate once to produce a lifetime of eggs, so they can afford to be choosy.

Habronattus americanus Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

spider with tan, black, and white markings

Phidippus tyrelli Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

spider with a black body and tan and black striped legs. At the end of two legs are white puffs of fur.

Phidippus toro Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Phidippus insignarius Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Habronattus sansoni Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

spider with iridescent marking on its face

Habronattus cambridei Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

white spider with orange and grey markings

Habronattus pyrrithrix Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

white and grey spider with brown markings on its face

Phidippus adonis Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Cryptic Females

2 spiders on a leaf — After being impressed by his dance, a female (left) allows the male to approach so she can get a closer look. Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Female jumping spiders are usually drab brown and gray, which scientists believe helps them blend in with their surroundings. They must constantly hunt for food to produce eggs that they will later guard until they hatch.

Spider Makeovers

Color manipulation experiments can help scientists understand what colors female jumping spiders are paying attention to in male courtship displays and why.

Experimenting with Makeup

a small paint brush being used to change the color of the markings on a spider — Tiny spider makeover: A magnified image of a male spider having black makeup applied to his face. Photo courtesy of Tyler Jones

Using non-toxic makeup, scientists can change a male’s colors — making them appear brighter, duller, or covering them up completely to change his appearance.

Experiments like this help scientists understand whether certain colors are required for species recognition, which colors make males more attractive to females, and which aspects of a male’s colorful display matter most and in what contexts. This sheds light on why different species of male jumping spiders have evolved such diverse displays.

researcher using scientific equipment to see a tiny spider and change the color of the markings on the spider.

Lisa Taylor applies black eyeliner to conceal the red face of an anesthetized spider to prepare him for a mate choice experiment. After painting, the spiders wake up unharmed. Photo courtesy of Tyler Jones

assorted paint color chips with makeup products and brushes

Makeup, brushes, color swatches, and other supplies used in color manipulation experiments. Photo courtesy of Lisa Taylor

An adult male Paradise Jumping Spider (Habronattus pyrrithrix) positioned next to a penny to illustrate his small size. Photo courtesy of Lyle Buss

two close up images of a spiders face one with red marking and one with black markings — The male jumping spider on the left has his natural red facial coloration, while the male on the
right has his red coloration concealed using black liquid eyeliner. Photo courtesy of Lisa Taylor

Voracious Visual Predators

For visual predators, bright colors in prey often warn of danger.

tan spider with large eyes — A female Paradise Jumping Spider, *Habronattus brunneus*. The large forward-facing eyes of this species provide exceptional visual acuity and color vision. Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Female jumping spiders use their exceptional vision to capture a variety of small insect prey. Many insects advertise toxic chemical defenses with bold colors and patterns. Hungry females pay attention to these colors to avoid attacking toxic or dangerous prey.

This heightened attention to red and orange when foraging might also explain why females pay attention to these same colors when a male approaches them with a courtship display.

brightly colored caterpillar — A caterpillar of the Stinging Rose Moth (Parasa indetermina) uses bright colors to advertise to predators that it is dangerous. Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

moth with tan, brown, and orange markings

Moth, Araeomolis rhodographa Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

black, white, and yellow insect sitting on the end of a yellow leaf and looking at the viewer

Bagrada Bug, Bagrada hilaris Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

black caterpillar with bright orange and yellow markings

Slug Caterpillar, Family Limacodidae Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Spotted Lady Beetle, Coleomegilla maculata Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Velvet Ant Dasymutilla occidentalis Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Candy-striped Leafhopper, Graphocephala coccinea Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Grasshopper, Genus Romalea Photo courtesy of Colin Hutton

Colorful Buffets

six small crickets in two are brown, one in pink, one is yellow, one is green, and the last is blue. — Newly hatched crickets are almost clear, so when they are given water containing food dye, they quickly take up the color of the dye. Photo courtesy of Lisa Taylor

Prey color manipulation experiments inform scientists which colors female spiders pay attention to and which they prefer or avoid.

Manipulating Prey Colors

Scientists use a variety of prey types and techniques in color manipulation experiments, which tell us what colors hunting female jumping spiders prefer or avoid and which colors they remember the best.

six termites painted in a variety of colors on a Petri

The painted termites are used to determine what colors female spiders prefer or avoid. Photo courtesy of Lisa Taylor

close up a termites with tan heads and different color bodies including pink, green, and red.

Termites are painted with the same quick-drying enamel used to paint model cars. Photo courtesy of Lisa Taylor

The Spider Lab

University of Florida scientists are curious about the tiny colorful wildlife in our backyards.

Members of Lisa Taylor’s Spider Lab in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida are inspired by the diversity of color in nature. They hope to improve our understanding of the evolution of color vision and how animals use color to communicate.

seven people standing together in an information booth at an outside location — The 2023 Spider Lab Team at a Gainesville, FL outreach event. From left to right: Madison Heisey, Ellen Humbel, Gary Greenblatt, Laurel Lietzemayer, Aditi Persad, Lisa Taylor, and Maggie Anderson. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Johns

Meet the Photographer

person smiling at the camera he holding a chameleon in one hand — Colin Hutton poses with a chameleon. Photo courtesy of Matt Shirley

Colin Hutton has been taking macro photos of animals since 2010, but insects and spiders are among his favorites. His goal is to help people appreciate the beauty of nature’s smaller creatures.

Acknowledgements

All images and videos in the “Colorful Dancing Spiders” exhibit were provided by Colin Hutton unless otherwise credited. This research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

Colorful Dancing Spiders was on display in the Florida Museum from May 2023 through July 2024.