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9 - Plasticity, learning and cognition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Elizabeth Jakob ,
Christa Skow  and
Skye Long
Edited by
Marie Elisabeth Herberstein
Elizabeth Jakob
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts, USA
Christa Skow
Affiliation:
Wellesley College, USA
Skye Long
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
Marie Elisabeth Herberstein
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Sydney
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Summary

As is becoming increasingly clear, spiders are not entirely instinct driven and inflexible in their behaviour. Here we review evidence for behavioural plasticity, learning and other cognitive processes such as attentional priming and memory. We first examine these attributes in several natural contexts: predation, interactions with conspecifics and potential predators, and spatial navigation. Next we examine two somewhat more artificial experimental approaches, heat aversion and rearing in enriched versus impoverished environments. We briefly describe the neurobiological underpinnings of these behaviours. Finally, we point to areas where our knowledge gaps are greatest, and we offer advice for researchers beginning their own studies of spider learning.

Overview

The history of the study of spider learning parallels that of insect learning, but lags well behind. At the start of the twentieth century, the general view was that insect learning was generally guided by instinct, but a steady accumulation of data has transformed our view of the importance of learning in their daily lives (reviewed in Dukas, 2008). In spite of their tiny brains, insects are capable of learning a multitude of tasks related to foraging, anti-predatory behaviour, aggression, social interactions, courtship and mate choice (Dukas, 2008). The study of spider behaviour is undergoing a similar transformation. Beginning over a century ago, researchers have periodically delved into the question of whether spider behaviour is primarily instinctual or can be modified with experience.

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Type
Chapter
Information
Spider Behaviour
Flexibility and Versatility
 , pp. 307 - 347
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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