Which Spiders Have the Best Eyesight?
WouterThere are many spiders out there, and some have better eyesight than others. These include jumping spiders and the wolf spider.
These animals have excellent eyesight, allowing them to detect and track prey. They can also detect motion and even detect colors.
Jumping spiders have the best vision of all spiders. This is due in part to their forward-facing primary eyes, called ocelli. They have special filters in their eyes that absorb ultraviolet and green light. This allows them to see trichromatic color channels. They also have a looming response, which helps them detect danger and sense prey.
These spiders have two large front eyes, and a pair of lateral eyes on the side of their body. They can see in a range of colors, including red. Their rear eyes are enlarged, giving them a wider field of vision. These enlarged eyes give them a unique advantage when hunting in the dark.
During a recent study, researchers found that jumping spiders have a filter between green-sensitive light receptors. This filter could be used to help these creatures see red. The team was able to record mating dances in the lab and then use this data to figure out how spiders could see colors.
Massimo de Agro, a researcher at the University of Regensburg in Germany, was the first to conduct the new study. He had previously performed experiments at Harvard University. Using those results, he was able to build a spider eye tracker.
