title: Airborne Acoustic Perception by a Jumping Spider.
abstract: Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are famous for their visually driven behaviors [1]. Here, however, we present behavioral and neurophysiological evidence that these animals also perceive and respond to airborne acoustic stimuli, even when the distance between the animal and the sound source is relatively large (∼3 m) and with stimulus amplitudes at the position of the spider of ∼65 dB sound pressure level (SPL). Behavioral experiments with the jumping spider Phidippus audax reveal that these animals respond to low-frequency sounds (80 Hz; 65 dB SPL) by freezing-a common anti-predatory behavior characteristic of an acoustic startle response. Neurophysiological recordings from auditory-sensitive neural units in the brains of these jumping spiders showed responses to low-frequency tones (80 Hz at ∼65 dB SPL)-recordings that also represent the first record of acoustically responsive neural units in the jumping spider brain. Responses persisted even when the distances between spider and stimulus source exceeded 3 m and under anechoic conditions. Thus, these spiders appear able to detect airborne sound at distances in the acoustic far-field region, beyond the near-field range often thought to bound acoustic perception in arthropods that lack tympanic ears (e.g., spiders) [2]. Furthermore, direct mechanical stimulation of hairs on the patella of the foreleg was sufficient to generate responses in neural units that also responded to airborne acoustic stimuli-evidence that these hairs likely play a role in the detection of acoustic cues. We suggest that these auditory responses enable the detection of predators and facilitate an acoustic startle response. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Electronic address: paul_shamble@fas.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Shamble
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Electronic address: gm234@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menda
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Golden
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Eyal I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Nitzany
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walden
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Tsevi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beatus
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Damian O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Itai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Hoy
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D006309:Hearing; D013216:Reflex, Startle; D013112:Spiders
keywords: acoustic startle response; acoustics; jumping spider; neuroethology