Initial responses of naive individuals to critical environmental stimuli pr
ovide important information about the innate contribution to behaviour, and
subsequent responses to the same stimuli may show the role of experience i
n mediating those initial responses. To test the role of these factors, I m
easured initial patch choices and giving-up responses of just-emerged, naiv
e, second-instar crab spiders, Misumena vatia, on several hunting sites the
y encountered after leaving their natal nests. In follow-up tests I measure
d the effects of these experiences on subsequent patch choice decisions. Th
e choice of hunting sites is a vital decision at all stages of the life cyc
le for sit-and-wait predators such as Misumena. In their initial tests thes
e spiderlings remained more frequently on goldenrod (Solidago spp.) flowers
than on green or yellow goldenrod buds, a preference they retained through
tests run on 5 consecutive days. Individuals on green and yellow buds shif
ted sites more quickly and frequently than those from flowers, and made mos
t of these moves to flowers, which attracted many more prey than did buds.
These differences were not affected by age, energetic condition, or loss of
information over the period of the experiment. Once spiderlings moved from
buds, they showed a high, increasing tendency to move from buds in subsequ
ent runs, those from flowers showed a consistently law tendency. These resu
lts suggest that spiderlings retain their innate behavioural patterns throu
gh the second instar, put that experience also plays a modest role in patch
choice at this stage. (C) 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Beh
aviour.