COLOURATION AND ITS ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE IN SEXUAL SELECTION OF JUMPING SPIDERS (ARANEAE: SALTICIDAE)

Abstract

COLOURFUL MALE ORNAMENTS ARE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. THESE ORNAMENTS ARE ASSUMED TO SEXUALLY SELECTED VIA FEMALE MATE CHOICE AND/OR DIRECT MALE-MALE COMPETITION. IT HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED THAT MALE UV AND HUMAN-VISIBLE (VIS) COLOURATION FALLS UNDER DIRECT SELECTION THROUGH FEMALE CHOICE IN A WIDE RANGE OF ANIMALS. HOWEVER, THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF UV AND VIS COLOURS IN SEXUAL SELECTION IS ONLY POORLY UNDERSTOOD. IN THIS DISSERTATION, I AIM TO EXAMINE COLOURATION AND ITS ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE IN SEXUAL SELECTION AND TO INVESTIGATE THE ORIGIN AND MAINTENANCE OF COLOURATION USING IN JUMPING SPIDERS. RESULTS SHOW THAT: (1) SEXUAL DICHROMATISM IS WIDESPREAD IN JUMPING SPIDERS .(2) FEMALES ARE FOUND TO MAKE MATE-CHOICE DECISIONS BASED ON SEXUAL MONOMORPHIC COLOURATION OF MALES. (3) MALE COLOURATION IS RELIABLE PREDICTOR OF MATING SUCCESS .AND (4) PREFERENCE FOR COLOURFUL MALES ALLOWS CHOOSING FEMALES TO GAIN BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS.