By Susan Milius
A tropical jumping spider needs ultraviolet wavelengths for courtship, say researchers.
The tiny spider, Cosmophasis umbratica, often turns up on sun-loving plants in tropical southeast Asia, explains Daiqin Li of the National University of Singapore. He and his colleagues knew that jumping spiders see ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths in sunlight, which people can’t. So, the team began checking for UV-reflecting markings on the spiders.