p. 424 Salticids range over all continents except Antarctica, and from 80m below sea level at Death Valley to 6,400 (? 6,700) up Mt. Everest.
p. 424 P. fimbriata, P. labiata and P. schultzi are reported as having no difficulty moving over any type of web. In contrast, cursorial spiders generally have difficulty moving on webs, and web spiders find it difficult to move in webs unlike those they build; sticky webs adhere to cursorial spiders and web-builders of non-sticky webs; builders of cribellate webs have difficulty with non-cribellate webs, and vice versa.
p. 424 P. fimbriata is found in Australia, the Solomon Islands, New Guineau and Asia. Other Portia species listed by Wanless in 1984 are: in tropical Africa, P. africana, P. alboguttata and P.schultzi; and in Asia, P. albimana, P. assamensis, P. crassipalpis and P. labiata.
p. 424 This study covers: P. fimbriata from Queensland, New Territory, Malayasia and Sri Lanka; P. africana and P.schultzi from Kenya; P. albimana from Sri Lanka; and P. labiata from Malayasia and Sri Lanka.
p. 426-428 Define terms
p. 429-431 Portia Type I webs are made by females and males and are hanging horizontal platforms, about 1 to 3 times the spider's body length. Type II webs, made only by females, are funnel-shaped, about 4,000 cubic centimetres (240 in3) and used for catching prey. Females often redesign their webs, with other structures added to the initial funnel, and often build their webs next to or within the webs of spiders.
p. 431 Queensland specimens of P. fimbriata live near running water and with moderate light, while Northern Territory species live in caves where the lights varies from rather dark to much bright than in Queensland. Other populations of Portia also live with higher light levels than in Queensland, and some members of these other populations were found in webs exposed to direct sunlight for part of the day.
p. 432 Various species of non-salticid web-building spiders were abundant at all the sites surveyed, and extremely numerous round the Queensland P. fimbriata populations and around the shore of Lake Victoria, where P. africana lives. In some small areas around Lake Victoria, some species of web spiders form very large and dense crowds with interconnected webs, and such complexes have also been found on islands in Lake Victoria. P. africana around Lake Victoria and P. fimbriata in Queensland's rainforest also share these environments with enormous populations of non-Portia salticids, while other areas have much smallest populations. The non-Portia salticids around Lake Victoria occur in small patches of three species, all under 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in body length, while Queensland uniquely has dense but wide-spread populations.
p. 432 Statistics on own / alien webs across all species surveyed.
p. 432 Own webs of P. fimbriata (all areas) and P. albimana are fixed to solid surfaces such as rocks and tree trunks. Webs of P. africana, P. schultzi and especially P. labiata are often fixed to pliant stems and leaves and on the lower branches of trees.
p. 433 In most Portia species, adult females' bodies are 7 to 10 millimetres (0.28 to 0.39 in) long and those of males are 5 to 6 millimetres (0.20 to 0.24 in). Females of P. schultzi are 5 to 7 millimetres (0.20 to 0.28 in) long, while males are 4 to 6 millimetres (0.16 to 0.24 in).
p. 433 All Portias have fringes and tufts on fringes on their legs and abdomens, making the spiders look like pieces of detritus.
p. 433 Cryptic rest pose, and response to disturbance.
p. 433 All Portias walk slowly in a "mechanically", moving the legs and palps asynchronously. P. fimbriata in Queensland walks and waves more jerkily and about twice as slowly as other Portias, including P. fimbriata in other areas.
p. 433-434 All Portias move easily on all types of webs (non-sticky webs and both cribellate and non-cribellate sticky webs). On webs, Portias also use "rotary probing", moving a free leg in an ellipse until it finds a silk thread.
p. 434 When disturbed, most Portias leap upwards about 100 to 150 millimetres (3.9 to 5.9 in), often from the cryptic rest pose, and often over a wide trajectory. Usually Portia then either freezes or runs about 100 millimetres (3.9 in) and then freeze. However, P. fimbriata in Queensland rarely runs or leaps.
p. 434-435 Like P. labiata in Asia and P.schultzi in Africa, P. fimbriata in Queensland always lays eggs on dead, brown leaves about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long, suspended near the top of the web. In Northern Territory, P. fimbriata occasionally lays eggs in a similar situation, but more usually on small horizontal webs suspended on the main web.
p. 434 Differences between P. fimbriata in Queensland and all other Portias.
p. 435 All Portias except P. albimana prey on spiders.
p. 437 Comparative stats on hunting performance of 3 P. fimbriata populations and of P. africana, P. labiata and P.schultzi
p. 438 Comparative stats on hunting performance of males and females, by prey type and size, comparing P. fimbriata (Queensland) against combined P. labiata and P.schultzi.
p. 439 Comparative stats on pursuits of P. fimbriata (Queensland) compare all other Portias.
p. 440-441 The Queensland P. fimbriata sometimes "swoops" on other jumping spiders by slowly moving its cephalothorax above the prey and then quickly driving down with its fangs open. This type of attack is not used by other Portias, including P. fimbriatas from Northern Territory and Sri Lanka.
p. 441 Portia also sometimes uses "pick up", in which it moves its fangs slowly into contact with the prey. In some cases, Portia first slowly uses the forelegs to manipulate the prey before biting.
p. 441 Portia sometimes stabs a spider, retracting the fangs immediately rather than keeping them in the prey, which then runs away.
p. 441-442 Portia venom: When stabbed by a Portia, a small to medium spider, including another Portia, usually rans away for about 100 to 200 millimetres (3.9 to 7.9 in), started to convulse, became paralysed after 10 to 30 :seconds, and continued convulsing for 10 seconds to 4 minutes. Portia slowly approaches the prey and and takes it. Insects are usually not immobilised so quickly but continue to struggle, sometimes for several minutes. If Portia cannot make further contact with the prey, it usually recovers, making sluggish movements several minutes after the stabbing but often starts normal movement only after an hour.
p. 442-443 Portia often needs to stab a large spider several times to conquer it. When stabbed, a large spider may show effects, or may become partially or fully disabled for 30 or more seconds. The attacker continues to stab 10 to 15 times, until the prey is at least almost immobilised, and then eats it. Portia generally is slow to get a spider stabbed many times, and may wait 20 to 200 millimetres (0.79 to 7.87 in) for 15 to 30 minutes before taking hold of the prey.
p. 443 Sometimes Portia lowers itself very slowly down a silk safety line toward the prey. From a few millimetres above, Portia then drops the last few millimetres to stab or seize the prey.
p. 443 Only the Queensland population of P. fimbriata uses cryptic stalking, and only against jumping spiders. In this tactic, the palps are help down against the side of the body and the gait is slower and more mechanical than in normal walking. If the salticid prey turns to face Portia while the pair are 10 to 50 millimetres (0.39 to 1.97 in) apart, Portia usually stops until the prey faces away.
p. 443 During normal stalking, a Portia keeps the palps in the normal walking position, does not stop when the prey faces it, and does not exaggerate the slow, mechanical gait. Sometimes Portia does not wave its legs or palps, and walks faster than usual.
p. 444 P. fimbriata in Queensland rarely jumps into webs or chases web spiders that flee, but usually vibrates webs and moves slowly on them. P. labiata (SL) and P. schultzi occasionally jump at web spiders and chases those that run away. The behaviour of P. fimbriata (NT, SL, M), P. labiata (M), P. africana and P. albimama are intermediate between that of P. fimbriata (Q) and that of P. labiata (SL) and P. schultzi. See table.
p. 444 Rotary probing and breaking lines: P. labiata
p. 444 When an insect stuck in a web owned by P. labiata, P. schultzi and all groups of P. fimbriata and next to a web spider's, the web spider sometimes enters the Portia's, and the Portia pursues and catches the web spider.
p. 444-447 Cursorial spider in nest. Unlike other Portias, P. fimbriata (Q) readily invades the nests of cursorial spiders, plucking or cutting the nest. If the resident spider eventually leaves the nest, P. fimbriata stalks it. Sometimes the resident spider tries to counterattacks and then retreat into the nest. In this case P. fimbriata may attack the other spider as it re-enters the nest, or may wait motionless until the prey exits. If a stabbed prey spider retreats into the nest, P. fimbriata (Q) never enters the nest to take the prey, but waits for the prey to move out, and then P. fimbriata kills it.
p. 447 Salticid out of nest: P. fimbriata (Q) uses cryptic stalking, and usually finishes with a swoop, although occasionally with a leap or lunge.
p. 447 Response of salticid prey to P. fimbriata (Q): When P. fimbriata (Q) cryptically stalks, salticid prey usually shows no sign that there a predator or even animal slowly approaching. Occasionally the prey detects some small movement from behind, faces P. fimbriata and fails to recognise the threat - for example the prey may wipes its eyes with its palps, or calmly walk over the P. fimbriata. A salticid stalked by another other Portia will face it and then either display or run away.
p. 447-448 Non-salticid spider outside nest: Generally all Portias use normal stalking and finally leap or lunge, although P. fimbriata (Q) occasionally swoops. All Portias sometimes show parts of the cryptic stalking tactic, such as temporarily keeping the palps down and close to the body.
p. 448 Preying on insects: In the open, in their own webs and in other spiders' webs, most Portias stalk normally and attack by lunging or picking up. If the insect is large and struggling, even if the prey is thoroughly stuck, Portia usually does not usually take the insect, but waits for up to a day until the insect stops struggling. However, P. fimbriata (in Queensland) does not leap into webs containing insects.
p. 448 Scavenging. The webs of spiders on which Portias prey sometimes contain dead insects and other arthropods which are uneaten or partly eaten. P. fimbriata (in Queensland) and some Portias such as P. labiata and P. schultzi sometimes eat these corpses if these are not obviously decayed.
p. 448. Oophagy. All Portias eat eggs of other spiders, including eggs of their own species, and can extract eggs from cases ranging from the flimsy ones of Pholcus to the tough papery ones of Philoponella. While only P. fimbriata (in Queensland) captures cursorial spiders in their nests, all Portias steal eggs from empty nests of cursorial spiders.
p. 449. Pic of Spartaneine head, etc.
p. 448-450. Portias killed and injured while pursuing, % of pursuits against size B (0.5 to 1.0 of Portia′ size) & C (1.5 to 2.0) (p. 428): P. fimbriata (in Queensland) killed 0.6%, injured but not killed also 0.6%; P. labiata killed 2.1%, injured but not killed 3.9%; P. schultzi killed 1.7%, injured but not killed 5.3%. Portia′s especially tough skin often prevents injury, even when its body is caught in the other spider's fangs. When injured, Portia bleeds and may sometimes loses one or more legs. Spiders' palps and legs break off easily when attacked, Portia′s palps and legs break off exceptionally easily, which may be a defence mechanism, and Portias are often seen with missing legs or palps, while other salticids are not seen with missing legs or palps.
p. 461-465 Mating displays. ?? Somewhere: female accepts by keeping still.
p. 465 Copulation. Median time from first display to first insertion 29.5 minutes (range 4 to 169 minutes). Total duration of copulation 100.5 seconds (11 seconds to 31 minutes). Duration of each insertion 42.5 seconds (8 seconds to 8 minutes). Etc. Virgin females have the shortest copulations, but produce many fertile eggs. Already mated females often mate again, but P. fimbriata (in Queensland) is less likely to mate again (12 of 41 tests) than P. labiata and P. schultzi (24 of 30) In nature, females of all species in the study have sperm plugs over their copulatory pores.
p. 465-466 Inter-species sex - ? in nature or only in laboratory?
p. 466-467 Behaviour of the same species and sexes. Males displays. Females often grapple, and sometimes lose a leg. Occasionally one female turns over the other, and sometimes this allows to the strongly to kill and eat the other, except that P. fimbriata (in Queensland) is not a cannibal. If the loser runs away leaving a nest, the winning female eats the eggs.
p. 467 Cohabitation. In P. fimbriata (in Queensland), ''P. fimbriata (in Northern Territory), P. fimbriata (in Sri Lanka), P. labiata (in Sri Lanka and Malayasia) and P. schultzi, adult and sometimes sub-adult males cohabit with sub-adult females of their own species on the females' capture webs.
