A recent review (Morehouse et al., 2017) compiling the current knowledge on the evolution and molecular foundations of spider vision remarked on the need for further research in this area of investigation. While there is great variation regarding eye arrangements and visual systems across families, most studies on visual behavior have focused on spiders that have similar foraging strategies and do not represent the full range of spider visual morphology or behavior.
The visual systems of different spider families can be correlated to their life histories and behaviors. Many diurnal cursorial spiders like salticids possess enlarged principal eyes and use their secondary eyes to give them wide peripheral vision for detecting prey. Nocturnal hunters like wolf spiders (Family Lycosidae) and net-casting spiders (Family Deinopidae) have small principal eyes and enlarged secondary eyes. Meanwhile, some ambush predators like crab spiders (Family Thomisidae) and web-building spiders like long-jawed orb weavers (Family Tetragnathidae) tend to have small, evenly spaced eyes with little size difference between the principal and secondary eyes.
Recent comments