Meeting Abstract
A long-standing goal for biologists has been to understand how female preferences operate in natural systems. Of particular interest are systems where males have evolved complex, multi-component signals produced using different sensory modalities. We examined the peacock spider Maratus volans, where exceptionally colorful males perform elaborate dances and vibratory songs to entice females to mate. We ran a series of mating trials to examine male signals and the features of signals that predicted mating success. Next, we ran a set of trials where we manipulated the visual and vibrational environment to examine the role of color and vibratory songs. Overall, our results suggest that different signal types have different functions and that females base their mating decisions primarily on the basis of dances and much less so on color or vibratory aspects of displays.
