Social behavior in web-building spiders

Many animal species live in groups. One of my interests is examining how group living affects individuals differently. For example, an animal that is small and unlikely to win fights, or hungry, or close to the end of its life cycle, might be affected differently by being in a group than other animals. I've studied groups living in several species, including Holocnemus pluchei and Metepeira incrassata (in collaboration with Dr. George Uetz).

Responses of jumping spiders to visual stimuli

Jumping spiders encounter many animals as they move through their environment: some are dangerous, some are neutral, and some are good to eat. How do spiders classify these organisms? We are presenting spiders with computer-modified visual stimuli to study this question.

Learning in jumping spiders

Jumping spiders are extremely visual animals. This makes them ideal candidates for studies of learning. My students and I have been working on both lab and field tests of learning.

The effect of an invasive spider on native spiders

In Acadia National Park in Maine, the most common linyphiid spider is an invader from Europe. What are its impacts on the native fauna?