Robert R Jackson
Department of Zoology
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch
NEW ZEALAND

Fax: 64-3-364-2024
Phone (Office): 64-3-364-2064
Phone (Zoology Department): 64-3-364-2071 (or 2860)

email: r.jackson@zool.canterbury.ac.nz

Born: North Carolina, USA

Education
University of California
Berkeley, California, USA
Ph.D. 1976

Primary research

     Basic research on communication systems, conditional predatory strategies, predator-prey co-evolution, perception and animal cognition have been primary objectives in my research for the past 24 years been at the University of Canterbury.
My primary study animals have been spiders, especially salticid spiders, an exceptional animal group because of their unique, complex eyes vision-guided predatory strategies and problem- solving ability. Research interest includes salticid and other spiders from not only New Zealand but also from many other parts of the world. Tropical research is a major emphasis.

Research related to ants

     The biology of many salticids, and other spiders, is linked to the biology of ants. Salticids that routinely prey on ants (myrmecophagic species) and salticids that are ant- like in appearance (myrmecomorphic species) have been of particular interest. However, most salticids are neither myrmecophagic nor myrmecomorphic. Yet ants appear to be highly relevant even to these 'ordinary salticids'. Ants often prey on salticids, and ants may be the primary predators of salticids in the tropics. Questions about how salticids, and other spiders, detect, recognize and interact with ants have become important areas of my research.