The term crypsis englobes a multitude of strategies for avoiding detection by other animals by blending in with their environment. It plays an important role in predator-prey relationships, such as the interactions between crab spiders and bees. In this study we used a close relative of Misumena vatia, a crab spider widely studied for its color changing abilities, to investigate background color preferrence in swift crab spiders (Mecaphesa celer).
Like other crab spiders, Mecaphesa celer is an ambush hunter and it preys on pollinator insects by lurking in the flowers they visit. We hypothesized that in order to successfully capture its prey, Mecaphesa would choose to hide in flowers that more closely resemble its actual body coloration. In order to test our hypothesis, we designed an arena split into two different colors based in the RGB color model, and recorded to which side the spider moved after being placed in the center.
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