Predator-Prey Relationships: An Overview

Understanding the dynamics of predation and prey in arachnids

Abstract

Relationships between predators and prey have been compared to an evolutionary arms race inwhich the predators improve their capacity to catch and kill their prey while the prey grow harder to catchand consume. The intensity of the interactions between predators and their prey likely determines howpowerful these selection pressures are. A common interpretation of the ecological characteristics of thepredator-prey interaction in arachnids is that it involves reversible hunting behavior that scientists referto as a swapping ball game. In this perilous game of hunting, predators and prey often switch places,changing the trophic dynamics. The primary goal of this study was to clarify how predators and preyinteract.