Biology Seminar Series - Ignacio Escalante Meza, University of Illinois, Chicago

To cope with predation pressure, animals have evolved various defenses, including morphological, chemical, and behavioral mechanisms. Notably, some animals have multiple lines of defense. However, we still lack a clear understanding of why and how multiple defenses evolved, what their costs are, or if defenses are effective in multiple contexts. To address these knowledge gaps, I will present three case studies of the understudied arachnid group, Opiliones (“daddy long-legs”). First, these arachnids commonly lose legs voluntarily to escape predators. I found that these arachnids experience consequences in locomotor performance after leg loss, for which they can recover. Second, these arachnids perform a quick up-and-down movement, known as bobbing. I described Opiliones’ diversity of locomotor gaits, including bobbing, and recently found that this gait can be an antipredator strategy. Third, I explore the multi-specific aggregation behavior in these arachnids. Aggregations in Opiliones are highly variable in terms of species composition and the individuals present. Additionally, my work shows that the use of shared and unique signals may mediate this defensive strategy. Overall, these examples illustrate the diverse range of defensive strategies that animals use to respond to the predation pressure they encounter in nature.

Ignacio is a tropical biologist and organismal biologist who studies the mechanisms of animal behavior. By integrating tools in biomechanics, communication, and physiology, he explores animal behavior through the lenses of ecology and evolutionary biology. Ignacio joined the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) as a Bridge to Faculty Postdoc Fellow in 2022, and in the Fall of 2024, he transitioned to Assistant Professor. Before UIC, Dr. Escalante was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California – Berkeley, as well as a master’s and a B.S. in Biology from the Universidad de Costa Rica.