Behavioral Ecology Blog

The Invisible Sex Dance of Psychedelic Spiders, Science Paper

As if dressed for a psychedelic rave, jumping spiders sport glowing patches on their bodies to lure in eight-legged mates, a new study finds.

Jumping spiders of both sexes are known for their excellent eyesight, particularly in the ultraviolet wavelengths, and male jumping spiders are equipped with UV-reflecting scales that glow bright white and green [image] under the sun’s ultraviolet light.

hybrid speciation in butterflies

University of Nevada, Reno researcher Matthew Forister is among a group of scientists that have documented an unusual type of speciation in the Sierra, including a hybrid species of butterfly that can trace its lineage as far back as almost a half a million years ago. In a recently published article in the leading research journal Science, the discovery is one of the most convincing cases of this type of species formation that has ever been demonstrated in animals.

parasitic infection leads to increased risk for HIV infection

A new study shows a significantly increased risk of HIV infection among women with a common sexually transmitted disease, trichomoniasis. Although studies have been undertaken in the past to show the link between sexually transmitted infections and susceptibility to HIV, the study published in the March 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online, is one of the first to demonstrate a statistically significant association between trichomoniasis and HIV infection.

Why do we prefer some foods over others?

The choices may seem trivial, but they connect to something ancient inside us. In fact, says Thomas Pritchard, associate professor of neural and behavioral sciences, our food preferences are an outgrowth of the survival instincts we share with other animals. In the end, says Pritchard, we aren’t much different from rats.