What is one hypothesized function of the black and white leg banding on *A. seemanni* regarding visual signaling?

Functioning as disruptive camouflage in dappled sunlight on the forest floor

The distinctive linear markings of the Zebra Tarantula are theorized to serve multiple visual roles tailored to its environment. One prominent hypothesis suggests that the high-contrast black and white striping acts as disruptive camouflage. This patterning is effective in breaking up the spider's outline when illuminated by the irregular, shifting patterns of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy onto the leaf litter below. While another interpretation posits a mild aposematic function warning predators about the urticating hairs, the disruptive camouflage theory directly relates the markings to concealment within the uneven visual environment of the ground layer where the tarantula resides.