Fundamental trophic niche of two prey-specialized jumping spiders, Cyrba algerina and Heliophanus termitophagus (Araneae: Salticidae)

Abstract

Abstract. Spiders are among the most taxonomically diversified orders of predators, but data on the trophic niche of most species are still unknown. Here, we investigated the fundamental trophic niche of two species of jumping spiders, Cyrba algerina (Lucas, 1846) and Heliophanus termitophagus Wesołowska & Haddad, 2002, for which data on their realized trophic niche suggest trophic specialization (feeding on other spiders or termites, respectively). We investigated their fundamental trophic niche by means of acceptance experiments. Both species accepted a broader spectrum of prey under laboratory conditions than in the field, suggesting they are euryphagous specialists.