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Finding a way in the dark

Sensory ecology 2016–2017

Exploring how whip spiders navigate using touch and smell.

Our studies revealed that whip spiders use tactile and olfactory cues — not vision — to navigate complex environments with impressive spatial precision.

My contribution

I led experimental design and data collection across both lab and field settings, collaborating with colleagues to combine radio telemetry, behavioral tracking, and sensory manipulations. Together, we showed that antenniform legs provide essential multisensory input for goal-directed navigation in the absence of visual cues.

Citations

Graving, J. M., Bingman, V. P., Hebets, E. A., & Wiegmann, D. D. (2017). Development of site fidelity in the nocturnal amblypygid, Phrynus marginemaculatus. Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 203(5), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-017-1169-5

Bingman, V. P., Graving, J. M., Hebets, E. A., & Wiegmann, D. D. (2017). Importance of the antenniform legs, but not vision, for homing by the neotropical whip spider Paraphrynus laevifrons. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220(5), 885–890. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.149823

Wiegmann, D. D., Hebets, E. A., Gronenberg, W., Graving, J. M., & Bingman, V. P. (2016). Amblypygids: model organisms for the study of arthropod navigation mechanisms in complex environments. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 10, 47. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00047

@article{graving2017development,
  title={{Development of site fidelity in the nocturnal amblypygid, Phrynus marginemaculatus}},
  author={Graving, Jacob M and Bingman, Verner P and Hebets, Eileen A and Wiegmann, Daniel D},
  journal={Journal of Comparative Physiology A},
  volume={203},
  number={5},
  pages={313--328},
  year={2017},
  publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
  doi={10.1007/s00359-017-1169-5}
}

@article{bingman2017importance,
  title={{Importance of the antenniform legs, but not vision, for homing by the neotropical whip spider Paraphrynus laevifrons}},
  author={Bingman, Verner P and Graving, Jacob M and Hebets, Eileen A and Wiegmann, Daniel D},
  journal={Journal of Experimental Biology},
  volume={220},
  number={5},
  pages={885--890},
  year={2017},
  publisher={The Company of Biologists},
  doi={10.1242/jeb.149823}
}

@article{wiegmann2016amblypygids,
  title={{Amblypygids: model organisms for the study of arthropod navigation mechanisms in complex environments}},
  author={Wiegmann, Daniel D and Hebets, Eileen A and Gronenberg, Wulfila and Graving, Jacob M and Bingman, Verner P},
  journal={Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  volume={10},
  pages={47},
  year={2016},
  publisher={Frontiers Media SA},
  doi={10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00047}
}