Evidence of bird dropping masquerading by a spider to avoid predators

摘要: Masquerading comes at various costs and benefits. The principal benefit being the avoidance of predators. orb-web spider Cyclosa ginnaga has a silver body adds white discoid-shaped silk decoration to its web. size, shape colour C. ginnaga's resemble, when viewed by human eye against decoration, bird dropping. We therefore hypothesized that their colouration might combine with web form dropping masquerade protect it from measured spectral reflectance of: (i) spider's body, (ii) (iii) droppings, in field natural background found bodies decorations were indistinguishable each other droppings hymentopteran monitored predatory attacks on and/or blackened predator attack probabilities greater only blackened. Accordingly, we concluded forms masquerade, which reduces probability predation.