Diversification of jumping spiders and its maintenance through food resource partitioning

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16216
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo (2020-2023); Tokyo Metropolitan University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Yamasaki Takeshi 兵庫県立大学, 自然・環境科学研究所, 准教授 (90746786)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ハエトリグモ / 食性 / 多様性 / アリ擬態

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aimed to investigate the trophic levels and feeding habits of jumping spiders in temperate to subtropical regions. To elucidate the trophic levels, we conducted stable isotope ratio analysis of nitrogen and carbon on various species of collected jumping spiders. To determine their feeding habits, we performed gut content metabarcoding on the collected jumping spiders to examine their dietary composition. The results showed that no species in the temperate to tropical regions exhibited herbivorous tendencies as seen in tropical regions; instead, all were generalist predators with omnivorous to carnivorous tendencies. Additionally, it was revealed that herbivorous tendencies had evolved independently multiple times within the phylogeny of ant-mimicking jumping spiders.

Free Research Field

系統分類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、なぜ熱帯は生物種の数が多いのかという生物地理学的な大きな疑問に寄与するものである。これまで、生物分類群ごとに様々な仮説が提唱されており、本研究の成果は、餌分割という視点から生物種が多様化して、その多様性を維持している機構にひとつの説明を与えるものである。