Evarcha culicivora

Taxobox
name = "Evarcha culicivora"


image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Arachnida
ordo = Araneae
familia = Salticidae
genus = "Evarcha"
species = "E. culicivora"
binomial = "Evarcha culicivora"
binomial_authority = Wesolowska & Jackson, 2003
range_

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range_map_width = 250px

"Evarcha culicivora" is a species of jumping spider from Kenya.

It feeds mainly on the mosquito species "Anopheles gambiae", the main vector of malaria in the region.

It is the only known animal that selects its prey based on what the latter has eaten. Although jumping spiders are known to rely on their excellent vision, it was shown that this species selects blood-filled mosquitos more often than unfed ones, even more so when only relying on smell (90%, as opposed to 83%):National Geographic (2005): [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1011_051011_spider_vampire.html African Spider Craves Human Blood, Scientists Find] (with picture)] when it came to making a choice based on smell alone, with the two meal options hidden from view, around 90 percent of "E. culicivora" selected the blood-filled mosquito. However, it seems to select its preferred species by its resting posture, as different kinds of mosquitoes sit in different angles. This has been shown with 3D-animations of different resting postures.cite journal |author=Nelson XJ, Jackson RR |title=A predator from East Africa that chooses malaria vectors as preferred prey |journal=PLoS ONE |volume=1 |issue= |pages=e132 |year=2006 |pmid=17205136 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0000132]

The species is only known around Lake Victoria in Kenya and Uganda.

References

Further reading

*cite journal |author=Nelson, X.J.; Jackson, R. R. & Sune, G. O.|title=Use of "Anopheles"-specific prey-capture behavior by the small juveniles of "Evarcha culicivora", a mosquito-eating jumping spider| journal=Journal of Arachnology |volume=33 |issue=2| pages=541–548 |year=2005| pmid=|doi= [http://xnelson.googlepages.com/Nelsonetal2005_JOA.pdf PDF fulltext]
*cite journal |author=Jackson RR, Nelson XJ, Sune GO |title=A spider that feeds indirectly on vertebrate blood by choosing female mosquitoes as prey |journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |volume=102 |issue=42 |pages=15155–60 |year=2005 |pmid=16217015 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0507398102
*cite web |url=http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20051015/fob8.asp |title=Proxy Vampire: Spider eats blood by catching mosquitoes: Science News Online, Oct. 15, 2005 |accessdate=2008-02-26 |format= |work=

External links

* [http://salticidae.org/salticid/diagnost/evarcha/culic-ph.htm Pictures of "E. culicivora"]