Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour

Research Interests:

I am primarily interested in the ways by which animals are adapted to make the most of their interactions with others, especially during courtship, contests and hunting. In particular, my research has considered the related processes of assessment, communication and decision-making in these contexts.

My perspective is based in Behavioural Ecology, emphasizing relationships between animals and the habitats they occupy. I also maintain an active interest in the application of insights gained in Behavioural Ecology to environmentally benign management of insect pests. Most of my empirical research has involved jumping spiders, wolf spiders and tephritid flies.

Selected Publications:

Blest, A.D. & Taylor, P.W. (1995) Cambridgea quadromaculata n.sp. (Araneae, Stiphiidae): A large New Zealand spider from wet, shaded habitats.
New Zealand Journal of Zoology 22: 351-356

Jackson, R.R., Taylor, P.W., McGill, A. & Pollard, S.D. (1995) A web-building Diaea (Araneae, Thomisidae) from New Zealand.
Records of the Western Australian Museum 52: 33-37

Taylor, P.W. (1995) Jumping spiders alternate turns in the absence of visual cues.
International Journal of Comparative Psychology 8: 69-76

Taylor, P.W. (1997) Flexible oviposition timing in Trite planiceps (Araneae, Salticidae), a New Zealand jumping spider (Araneae, Salticidae).
Revue Arachnologique 12: 61-63 [abstract]

Taylor, P.W. (1997) Brood-defense as a function of maternal brood-attendance in Trite planiceps Simon (Araneae,Salticidae).
Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 10: 341-343

Taylor, P.W., Jackson, R.R. & Robertson, M.B. (1998) A case of blind spider's buff?: Prey-capture by jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae) in the absence of visual cues.
Journal of Arachnology 26: 177-189

Taylor, P.W. (1998) Dragline-mediated mate-location in Trite planiceps (Salticidae).
Journal of Arachnology 26: 172-176

Field, S.A., Taylor, P.W. & Yuval, B. (1999) Sources of variability in copula duration of Mediterranean fruit flies.
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 92: 271-276

Taylor P.W. & Jackson, R.R. (1999) Habitat-adapted communication in Trite planiceps, a New Zealand jumping spider (Araneae, Salticidae).
New Zealand Journal of Zoology 26: 127-154 ]

Taylor, P.W. & Yuval, B. (1999) Postcopulatory sexual selection in Mediterranean fruit flies: advantages for large and protein-fed males.
Animal Behaviour 58: 247-254

Kaspi R., Taylor, P.W. & Yuval, B. (2000) Diet and size influence sexual advertisement and copulatory success of males in Mediterranean fruit fly leks.
Ecological Entomology 25: 279-284

Taylor, P.W., Hasson, O. & Clark, D.L. (2000) Body postures and patterns as amplifiers of physical condition.
Proceedings of the Royal Society, London B 267: 917-922

Taylor, P.W., Kaspi, R. & Yuval, B. (2000) Copula duration and sperm storage in Mediterranean fruit flies from a wild population.
Physiological Entomology 25: 95-100

Taylor, P.W., Bear, A., Gazit, Y. & Rössler, Y. (2001) Sexual competitiveness of Vienna 4/Tol-94 'genetic sexing' sterile Mediterranean fruit fly males in Israel.
Phytoparasitica 29: 7-14

Taylor, P.W., Hasson, O. & Clark, D.L. (2001) Initiation and resolution of jumping spider contests: roles for size, proximity and early detection of rivals.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 50: 403-413

Taylor, P.W., Kaspi, R., Mossinson, S. & Yuval, B. (2001) Age-dependent insemination success of sterile Mediterranean fruit flies.
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 98: 27-33

Bilde, T., Maklakov, A.A., Taylor, P.W. & Lubin Y. (2002) State-dependent decisions in nest site choice of a spider.
Animal Behaviour 64: 447-452

Yuval, B., Kaspi, R., Field, S.A., Blay, S. & Taylor, P.W. (2002) Effects of post-teneral nutrition on reproductive success of male Mediterranean fruit flies.
Florida Entomologist 85: 165-170

Moya-Laraño, Taylor, P.W. & Fernández-Montraveta, C. (2003) Body patterns as potential amplifiers of size and condition in a territorial spider.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 78: 355-364

Roberts, J.A., Taylor, P.W. & Uetz, G.W. (2003) Kinship and food availability influence cannibalism tendency in early-instar wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae).
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 54: 416-422

Taylor, P.W. & Elwood, R.W. (2003) The mis-measure of animal contests.
Animal Behaviour 65: 1195-1202

Taylor, P.W. & Jackson, R.R. (2003) Interacting effects of size and prior injury in jumping spider conflicts.
Animal Behaviour 65: 787-794

Uetz, G.W. & Taylor, P.W. (2003) Developmental instability and animal communication - Fluctuating asymmetry as a signal and as an influence on the signaling process. In: Polak, M. (Ed.) Developmental Instability: Causes and Consequences, Oxford University Press. [abstract]

Mankin R.W., Anderson J.B., Mizrach A., Epsky N.D., Shuman D., Heath R.R., Mazor M., Hetzroni A., Grinspun J., Taylor, P.W. & Garrett S. L. (2004) Trapping of female Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) (Wiedemann) by broadcast male calling song.
Journal of Economic Entomology 97: 1299-1309

Taylor, P.W., Roberts, J.A. & Uetz, G.W. (2005) Flexibility in the multi-modal courtship of a wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata.
Journal of Ethology 23: 71-75

Harmer, A.M.T., Radhakrishnan, P. & Taylor, P.W. (2006) Remating inhibition in female Queensland fruit flies: effects and correlates of sperm storage.
Journal of Insect Physiology 52: 179-186

Taylor, P.W., Roberts, J.A. & Uetz, G.W. (2006) Compensation for injury? Modified multi-modal courtship of wolf spiders following autotomy of signaling appendages.
Ethology, Ecology & Evolution 18: 79-89

Prenter, J., Elwood, R.W. & Taylor, P.W. (2006) Self-assessment by males during energetically costly struggles over precopula females in amphipods.
Animal Behaviour 72: 861-868

Roberts, J.A., Taylor, P.W. & Uetz, G.W. (2006) Absence of social facilitation of courtship in the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) (Araneae: Lycosidae).
Acta Ethologica 9:71-77

Taylor, P.W., Roberts, J.A. & Uetz, G.W. (2006) Mating in the absence of visual cues by Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz 1844) wolf spiders.
Journal of Arachnology 34: 501-505

Roberts, J.A., Taylor, P.W. & Uetz, G.W. (2007) Consequences of complex courtship display: Predator detection of multi-modal signaling.
Behavioral Ecology 18: 236-240

Yuval, B., Maor, M., Levy, K., Kaspi, R., Taylor, P.W. & Shelly, T. (2007) Breakfast of champions or kiss of death? Survival and sexual performance of protein fed sterile Mediterranean fruit flies.
Florida Entomologist 90: 115-122

Cooperman. A., Polak, M., Evans, C.S. & Taylor, P.W. (2007) Different sexual traits show covariation among genotypes: Implications for sexual selection.
Behavioral Ecology 18: 311-317

Perez-Staples, D., Harmer, A.M.T. & Taylor, P.W. (2007) Sperm storage and utilization in female Queensland fruit flies.
Physiological Entomology 32: 127-135

Radhakrishnan, P. & Taylor, P.W. (2007) Seminal fluids mediate sexual receptivity and copula duration of female Queensland fruit flies.
Journal of Insect Physiology 53: 741-745

Perez-Staples, D., Prabhu, V. & Taylor. P.W. (2007) Post-teneral protein feeding enhances sexual performance of Queensland fruit flies.
Physiological Entomology 32: 225-232

Wignall, A.E. & Taylor, P.W. (in press) Biology and life history of the araneophagic assassin bug Stenolemus bituberus (Heteroptera, Reduviidae).
Journal of Natural History

Prenter, J., Taylor, P.W. & Elwood, R.W (in press) Large body size for winning and large swords for winning quickly in swordtail males, Xiphophorus helleri.
Animal Behaviour

Polak, M. & Taylor, P.W. (in press) A primary role of developmental instability in sexual selection: combining phenodeviant morphology and fluctuating asymmetry.
Proceedings of the Royal Society, London B