title: UVB-based mate-choice cues used by females of the jumping spider Phintella vittata.
abstract: Although there are numerous examples of animals having photoreceptors sensitive to UVA (315-400 nm) [1] and relying on UVA-based mate-choice cues [2-5], here we provide the first evidence of an animal using UVB (280-315 nm) for intraspecific communication. An earlier study showed that Phintella vittata, a jumping spider (Salticidae) from China, reflects UVB [6]. By performing six series of binary mate-choice experiments in which we varied lighting conditions with filters (UVB+ [no filter] versus UVB-, UVB+ versus ND1, UVB+ versus ND2, UVB- versus ND1, UVB- versus ND2, and UVB- versus UVA-), we show that significantly more UVB + males than UVB- males are chosen by females as preferred mates. Female preference for UVB-reflective males is not affected by differences in brightness or by UVA.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zengtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fengxiang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qingqing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wenjin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Matthew L M
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Daiqin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013112:Spiders / Q000502:physiology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*