Casas J. auteur aut IRD Steinmann T. auteur aut IRD Dangles Olivier auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Many predators display two foraging modes, an ambush strategy and a cruising mode. These foraging strategies have been classically studied in energetic, biomechanical and ecological terms, without considering the role of signals produced by predators and perceived by prey. Wolf spiders are a typical example; they hunt in leaf litter either using an ambush strategy or by moving at high speed, taking over unwary prey. Air flow upstream of running spiders is a source of information for escaping prey, such as crickets and cockroaches. However, air displacement by running arthropods has not been previously examined. Here we show, using digital particle image velocimetry, that running spiders are highly conspicuous aerodynamically, due to substantial air displacement detectable up to several centimetres in front of them. This study explains the bimodal distribution of spider's foraging modes in terms of sensory ecology and is consistent with the escape distances and speeds of cricket prey. These findings may be relevant to the large and diverse array of arthropod preypredator interactions in leaf litter. specialized 080 122 3 5 e2116 : 6 2008 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00002874 10.1371/journal.pone.0002116 [F B010071433] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00002874 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers17-10/010071433.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2009-03-26 2023-03-03 PAR00002874 fre