The Effects Of Sleep 

Deprivation On Jumping 
Spiders  

By: Seher Abbasi 

Princeton High School  

Seher Abbasi

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Jumping Spiders

Abstract:

Arthropods and their relatives are able to process information from a variety of sources, which is an

indication of neural complexity. ​Thus this project will document a variety of behaviors and how they may

change through alterations of circadian rhythms in jumping spiders. Jumping spiders are documented to

have complex behaviors and brains, however they have not been extensively used in neuroscience studies,

thus one can predict that they will be more useful than other anthropoids in conducting sleep and light

studies. Due to the lack of sleep amongst teenagers and middle aged people, it is vital to learn more about

the effect sleep deprivation has on the brain and behavior. Thus jumping spiders were used as model

organisms to test the effect different day or night cycles would influence behaviors such as predatory

characteristics. These studies will then be used as an educational opportunity for people to learn more

about the brain and how it is connected to sleep.

Introduction:

Jumping Spiders makeup to thirteen percent of the spider species and are interesting because they have

excellent vision, unique ways of mating, astonishing predatory skills, different modes of living and

dietary preferences, and a versatile physiognomy (outward appearance of an animal) (Hollis et al. 1964).

Jumping spiders are incredible predators. Due to their complex brain, their memory and planning skills

aid them in hunting prey. Jumping Spiders have the ability to remember where exactly their prey is and

can navigate a path to catch it (Bartos, 2008). Another unique characteristic of the jumping spider would

be its vision (Heinze, 2014).Jumping spiders have a total of 6 eyes, 4 of which help with analyzing the
surroundings, especially useful for mating rituals (Heinze, 2014. They possess excellent color vision (can

see red, blue, and green), specific depth perceptions, and a spatial resolution down to 0.04 degrees making

them the arthropod with the sharpest vision, even surpassing certain vertebrates(Heinze, 2014).

An unresolved topic in jumping spider behavior is whether they have regular day or night sleep cycles, as

might be expected for a diurnal predator. Research into this aspect of behavior can help determine

whether the complexity of jumping spider behavior will be influenced by sleep deprivation, which

appears to have a profound impact on many vertebrate species, including humans (Colten, 2006). If

jumping spider behavior can be changed due to alterations of sleep cycles, this group of organisms could

prove to be a useful model organism in studies of neuroscience.

Specific Aims:

This experiment aims to use species with complex behaviors and nervous systems to test how their brains

respond to stimulus when exposed to different circadian rhythm patterns. Jumping spiders will help

determine the effect sleep deprivation and different day or night cycles has on behavior. By conducting

the following experiments, jumping spiders may be determined as neurobiological species thus serving as

an educational resource for people to learn more about the brain in general.

Significance and Innovation

Sleep is a relatively understudied field, however, it is becoming an increasing problem amongst teenagers

and middle-aged working men and women (Colten, 2006). It is crucial to conduct a study on the effects of

sleep deprivation on behavior and in order to do so jumping spiders are vital. Through this experiment not

only will one learn about jumping spiders and the effect sleep deprivation has on them but they may also

be classified as organisms to be used for future neurobiological experiments. Second, this experiment will
help people learn more about the brain. By presenting and teaching people about this experiment through

demonstrations and data analysis most people may be opened up to a new field of science they could

further explore.

Approach and Data Analysis:

This experiment was divided into 2 parts. The first part tested whether or not spiders have circadian

rhythms and the second tested the effect circadian rhythms have on behavior (specifically predatory

characteristics).

Classifying Jumping spider circadian rhythms:

To do so spiders were videotaped and analyzed. Day or night cycles were tested by comparing the times

of day when spiders move the most. To test day and night cycles, a petri dish with the spider in it was put

on top of a grid paper. Once the video was taken with the spider moving around, the video was analyzed

by looking at the amount of grids the spider moved through at different times of day. In order for a period

of time to be considered a circadian rhythm the spider had to move no farther than 3 grids within the span

of 1 hour. The control for this part of the experiment was the spider under normal sleep cycles with no

artificial light in the room. To sleep deprive spiders, artificial light was kept on in the room.

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Predatory Behaviors

To test predatory characteristics 2 sleep deprived spiders of the same or different species were put in a

container and the interactions between one another was observed (they were videotaped and analyzed).

During data analysis we checked to see if the spider threatened prey (by putting front legs up) and

analyzed their surroundings before attacking prey (cryptic stalking and circling around the prey). The

control for this experiment was putting 2 spiders (under normal sleep cycles) together to test interactions.
Data and Conclusion:

Spiders typically followed the sun cycles when it came to their circadian rhythms. Whenever the

sun set, spiders would go into their slings (nests) and stay still. However during the day, when the sun was

out, spiders were active and moving around. When artificial light was present throughout the night time,

spiders would have a harder time staying still in their slings and would move around for a longer amount

of time.

Spiders under normal sleep cycles took a longer time to attack and eat neighboring spiders. They

would start off by analyzing their surroundings to ensure safety, next plan the necessary steps to threaten

and weaken prey, and finally jump and attack. However with the sleep deprived spiders, spiders would

attack one another within the first 5 seconds of interaction. There was much more wrestling and

aggressive fighting with sleep deprived spiders. This may indicate that when spiders are sleep deprived

they tend to be less logical and more aggressive.

Spiders are known to have complex behaviors and brains, however once sleep deprived their

behavioral patterns are blurred indicating the effects of sleep deprivation on spiders. Because sleep

deprivation affects their ability to think logically it helps prove how sleep deprivation is having a negative

impact on organisms. This study can be linked to humans as well. We tend to be more irritated and faulty

when sleep deprived, this is similar to the ways spiders behave. Thus concluding that jumping spiders

indeed have complex brains and should be identified as neurological species.

Bibliography:
1. Aguilar-Argüello, Samuel O., and Juan H. García-Chávez. “Importance of Hunger and Prey Type

on Predatory Behavior Stages in Corythalia Albicincta (Araneae: Salticidae).” The Journal of

Arachnology, American Arachnological Society,

bioone.org/journals/The-Journal-of-Arachnology/volume-43/issue-2/J13-56/Importance-of-hunge

r-and-prey-type-on-predatory-behavior-stages/10.1636/J13-56.short.

2. Baker, Liv, et al. “The Effect of Visual Features on Jumping Spider Movements across Gaps.”

ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst, scholarworks.umass.edu/psych_faculty_pubs/21/.

3. Bartos, Maciej. “Hunting Prey With Different Escape Potentials-Alternative Predatory Tactics In

A Dune Dwelling Salticid.” The Journal of Arachnology, American Arachnological Society,

bioone.org/journals/The-Journal-of-Arachnology/volume-35/issue-3/ST06-06.1/Hunting-Prey-Wi

th-Different-Escape-PotentialsAlternative-Predatory-Tactics-In-A/10.1636/ST06-06.1.short.

4. Colten, Harvey R. “Extent and Health Consequences of Chronic Sleep Loss and Sleep

Disorders.” Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem., U.S.

National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/.

5. “Evidence of Circadian Rhythm in Antipredator Behaviour in the Orb-Weaving Spider

Larinioides Cornutus.” Animal Behaviour, Academic Press, 20 July 2011,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000334721100251X.

6. Heinze, Stanley. “Neurobiology: Jumping Spiders Getting On Board.” Current Biology, Cell

Press, 3 Nov. 2014, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982214012044.

7. “Male Spiders Risk Death By Courting the Wrong Females.” National Geographic, National

Geographic Society, 2 Apr. 2018,

news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/jumping-spider-courtship-dance-cannibalism/.

8. McGinley, Rowan H., et al. “Whole​-​Organism Performance in a Jumping Spider, Servaea Incana

(Araneae: Salticidae): Links with Morphology and between Performance Traits.” Biological
 Journal of the Linnean Society, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111), 24 Sept. 2013,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bij.12155.

9. Meehan, Christopher J. “Herbivory in a Spider through Exploitation of an Ant–Plant

Mutualism.” Current Biology, Cell Press, 12 Oct. 2009,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982209016261.

10. Nguyen, Dieu My T, et al. “Grasshopper DCMD: An Undergraduate Electrophysiology Lab for

Investigating Single-Unit Responses to Behaviorally-Relevant Stimuli.” Backyard Brains, 2017,

www.funjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/june-15-162.pdf.

11. Shamble, Paul S, et al. “Airborne Acoustic Perception by a Jumping Spider.” Current Biology :

CB, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Nov. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27746028.

12. Sweeney, et al. “Predator and Prey Activity Levels Jointly Influence the Outcome of Long-Term

Foraging Bouts.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 17 June 2013,

academic.oup.com/beheco/article/24/5/1205/255662.

13. T.E. Moore, S.E. Crary, D.E. Koditschek, and T.A. Conklin, “Directed Locomotion in

Cockroaches: ‘Biobots’,” Acta Entomologica Slovenica, vol.6, no.2, 71-78 December 1998

14. Vickers, Michael E., et al. “Scavenging throughout the Life Cycle of the Jumping Spider,

Phidippus Audax (Hentz) (Araneae: Salticidae).” The Journal of Arachnology, American

Arachnological Society,

bioone.org/journals/The-Journal-of-Arachnology/volume-42/issue-3/J13-31.1/Scavenging-throug

hout-the-life-cycle-of-the-jumping-spider-Phidippus/10.1636/J13-31.1.short.