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New Insights on African Social Spiders Challenge Ideas of Animal Personality
Recent research from the University of Portsmouth has brought new revelations about African social spiders, commonly referred to as “hippie spiders” due to their collaborative nature. This study questions the existence of distinct personalities within these arachnids, suggesting that their behavioral traits may fluctuate significantly rather than remain constant.
According to a research article published in Animal Behaviour, the behavior of Stegodyphus dumicola spiders does not align with the traditional understanding of animal personality, which is typically viewed as stable behavior across different contexts and over time. Instead, the behavior of these spiders appears to change dramatically, influenced by factors such as hunger and environmental conditions.
During the study, researchers observed 28 colonies of social spiders biweekly over a four-month period, assessing three main behavioral traits: their responses to threats, their boldness in fleeing, and their ability to capture prey in a social context. While the initial observations showed some consistency in individual behaviors, these patterns varied significantly over time, indicating that early behaviors did not reliably predict future actions.
Lead researcher Dr. Lena Grinsted, a Senior Lecturer in Zoology, emphasized the implications of these findings: “Our observations call into question whether these spiders possess true personalities. The pronounced fluctuations in their behavior suggest that labeling individuals with fixed personality traits could be misleading.”
Prior studies depicted the social structure of Stegodyphus spiders as cooperative and egalitarian, where individuals contributed to hunting, caring for young, and even sacrificing their safety for others in the colony. However, this new research indicates that behavioral roles may be more fluid than previously believed. Rather than adhering to fixed roles such as babysitters or foragers, these spiders adapt their behaviors according to the needs of the moment.
Dr. Grinsted noted, “While it might be easy to assume these spiders have well-defined roles like we see in certain social insects, our findings suggest they might engage in various tasks based on situational demands, promoting a more equal, cooperative society.” This realization challenges the notion that individual personalities are critical drivers of evolutionary and ecological dynamics within this species, particularly when assessed via traditional personality evaluation methods.
The implications of this study are significant for behavioral ecology. The researchers advocate for a shift in methodology, encouraging scientists to conduct more lengthy observations to accurately track behavior over an animal’s lifetime rather than relying on short-term assessments. The warning is clear: it may be erroneous to assume that social spiders possess stable personality traits, as their behavior is likely influenced by contextual factors.
“This study underscores the necessity of comprehending how behavior evolves throughout an animal’s life,” Dr. Grinsted stated. “The diversity of responses seen in our ‘hippie’ spiders illustrates that categorizing individuals into specific types—such as ‘bold’ or ‘aggressive’—based on limited observations can lead to inaccurate conclusions about their evolutionary trajectories. Like humans, one cannot make a definitive judgment about a spider from first impressions, nor do these spiders seem to embrace labels.”
More information: Lena Grinsted et al, The spiders that lost their personalities: assessing long-term behavioural individuality in social Stegodyphus dumicola, Animal Behaviour (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2025.123167
Citation: Social ‘hippie’ spiders don’t believe in labels (2025, April 28) retrieved 28 April 2025 from phys.org
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