[Odonata-l] Jumping spiders using exuviae for "homes"

[David & Yvette Bree]

Whenever I collect exuviae, particularly from emergent plants, they almost
all have spider webs anchored to them if not actually sheltering a spider.
I don't think I've noted one actually living in the empty exuviae before
though.  I always figured the rough surface of the exuviae just gave the
spider a handy anchor point, and there are a lot of spiders out there!

David Bree
Bloomfield, ON
Canada
  -----Original Message-----
  From: odonata-l-bounces at listhost.ups.edu
[mailto:odonata-l-bounces at listhost.ups.edu]On Behalf Of Erland Refling
Nielsen
  Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 6:59 PM
  To: Ylightfoot at aol.com; odonata-l at listhost.ups.edu
  Subject: Re: [Odonata-l] Jumping spiders using exuviae for "homes"


  Hi Tim and all

  Interesting to hear about your observations, I have not heard of spiders
having that behaviour. Your post made me think of an incident I captured
with my camera in late April this year. A damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula,
Large Red Damselfly) had failed emergence and was trapped in the exuvia, and
a small spider has arrived and is sitting on the exuvia. I do not know which
kind of spider it is, and I'm not sure it is related to your observations in
any way. The spider probably was there to feed on the damselfly. I've got a
couple of pictures of the incident here:
  http://www.photomacrography2.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2392
  The damselfly was about 40 centimeters above the water and 1,5 meter from
the "shore".
  Cheers
  Erland Nielsen
  Denmark
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Ylightfoot at aol.com
    To: odonata-l at listhost.ups.edu
    Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 6:38 PM
    Subject: [Odonata-l] Jumping spiders using exuviae for "homes"


    Hello folks:

    While collecting libellulid exuviae left in abundance in sedges,
grasses, etc., along a marshy backwater of the American River near my home
in the past few weeks, I have encountered two instances of a salticid using
a cast skin as a roost/nest.  In the past I have occasionally found small
spiderlings crawling around in/on exuviae, but the current case appears to
be of a particular salticid species finding exuviae to its liking as
residential dwellings.  I believe the species in question is Sassacus
(=Metaphidippus) vitis, though I have yet to get this confirmed by a
salticid expert (I have one live specimen, along with his exuvial abode, in
a vial at present).  This same species appears to be a common inhabitant of
marshy plants (e.g., yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), sedges, etc.) bordering
the riverine lagoons hereabouts.

    I'm curious to know if anyone has any additional data on this particular
association or the association of any other salticid species with exuviae.

    Cheers,

    Tim Manolis
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