湖北潜江农田景观中步甲和蜘蛛的群落结构

1995年6～10月在湖北省潜江市郊用陷阱法研究了不同农田景观元素中步甲和蜘蛛的群落结构,结果表明：10类农田景观元素中的五类景观元素,即稻田边缘,农林间作地,不打药的滩田,少打药的旱田和植被丰富的庭院菜地分别在步甲和蜘蛛的贮存上有重要意义。1)稻田边缘步甲和蜘蛛物种的多样性指数和物种数均最高。2)农林间作地步甲和蜘蛛的均匀度居首位,多样性指数位居第二。3)不打药的滩田步甲和蜘蛛的发生数量多,步甲的主要物种为爪哇屁步甲Pheropsophus javanus和耶屁步甲.Jessoensis。蜘蛛的主要物种为星豹蛛Pardosa astrigera。4)少打药的旱田发生的步甲数量多,主要物种为大劫步甲Lesticus magnus。5)植被丰富的庭园菜地发生的蜘蛛数量多,主要蜘蛛物种为沟渠豹蛛Pardosa laura。步甲或蜘蛛物种和景观元素的对应分析表明了优势步甲大劫步甲,爪哇屁步甲,耶屁步甲和优势蜘蛛沟渠豹蛛,星豹蛛,雾豹蛛Pardosa nebulosa,拟环纹豹蛛 P.Pesudoannulata和类水狼蛛Pirata piratoides各自的适生环境,同时也表明了这些景观元 素与常规管理农田(如水稻田,商业性菜地和棉田)之间在步甲、蜘蛛物种上的联系,这为农田景观的合理设计,保证农业的持续发展提供了参考。     

Exploitation of floral signals by crab spiders (Thomisus spectabilis, Thomisidae)

Flowers exhibit characteristics through which they exploit thesensory biases of pollinating insects, and both signaler andreceiver benefit from this interaction, either through reproductiveservice or food reward. However, the preferences of pollinatorsfor certain flower traits such as color or odor might be exploitedby predators that target pollinating insects. Crab spiders,Thomisus spectabilis, position themselves on flowers to preyon pollinators such as honeybees, Apis mellifera. We gave bothhoneybees and crab spiders the choice between two randomly chosenwhite Chrysanthemum frutescens, including olfactory signalsin one experiment and excluding odor in a second experiment.When olfactory signals were included, crab spiders and honeybeesclearly preferred the same flower out of a pair. However, agreementlevel was at chance in the absence of olfactory signals. Wealso analyzed the visual flower characteristics that might influencethe decision of the animals. Neither the size of flowers (diameterof flower and diameter of reproductive flower center) nor thereflectance properties (receptor excitation values in ultraviolet,blue, and green; overall brightness) influenced the choicesof crab spiders and honeybees. Therefore, odor seems to be thefloral signal that bees use to identify high-quality flowersand that crab spiders exploit to encounter honeybees.     

Signaling by decorating webs: luring prey or deterring predators?

Many organisms convey false signals to mislead their prey orpredators. Some orb-weaving spiders build conspicuous structureson webs called decorations. Web decorations and spider colorationsare both suggested to be important signals involved in interactionsbetween spiders and other organisms. There are several hypothesesabout the functions of signaling by decorations, among whichprey attraction had received much support, but empirical evidenceregarding predator defense is controversial. In this study,we conducted field experiments to investigate the effects ofspider decoration and coloration on insect interception ratesof webs built by Argiope aemula and to evaluate whether presenceof decorations may decrease predation risk of spiders. Decoratedwebs with spiders present had the highest prey interceptionrate, followed by undecorated webs with spiders, and then undecoratedwebs without spiders. Such results indicated that decorationsof Argiope spiders functioned as visual lures, and so did spiders'bright body colorations. In the field, almost all wasp attackevents occurred on medium-sized spiders rather than on largeones. Moreover, medium-sized Arg. aemula on decorated webs receivedfar more attacks than those on undecorated webs. Results ofthis study thus show that the signals conveyed by decorationscan visually lure prey but at the cost of an increased predationrisk. Received 20 March 2007; revised 3 August 2007; accepted 5 August 2007.     

Consequences of complex signaling: predator detection of multimodal cues

Animals often evolve complex signals to enhance their detectabilityby intended receivers. But signals that are more detectableby intended receivers may also be more likely to be interceptedby others, including predators. Courtship signaling in maleSchizocosa ocreata wolf spiders (Lycosidae) includes morphologicaltraits (prominent foreleg tufts) and active behaviors that togetherproduce a complex signal with simultaneous broadcast of visualand seismic components. Females respond more readily to maleswith large tufts and are more likely to respond when multiplemodalities (visual and seismic) are present in a complex signal.These spiders cooccur with active predators that may interceptthese conspicuous courtship signals and use them as huntingcues. We used video/seismic playback to experimentally isolateand manipulate aspects of the complex signal produced by maleS. ocreata. We found that increasing the size of a visual signal(male tufts) and increasing the complexity of the courtshipsignal by adding a second modality (visual plus seismic versusvisual alone) increased the speed with which a common predator,the jumping spider Phidippus clarus (Salticidae), respondedto playbacks of courting male S. ocreata. These results indicatethat the benefits of increased signaling efficacy of large visualsignaling ornaments and complex, multimodal signaling may becountered by increased predation risks.     

Previous foraging success influences web building in the spider Stegodyphus lineatus (Eresidae)

Stegodyphus lineatus (Eresidae) is a desert spider that buildsan aerial capture web on bushes in the Negev desert in southernIsrael. Web building for spiders is costly in energy, time,and risk of predation. Spiders should trade-off these costswith the benefits in terms of prey capture. We tested the hypothesisthat the previous foraging success of the spider influencesthe effort invested in foraging. Specifically, we asked whetheran increase in food intake causes spiders to reduce web renewalactivity and web size. Alternatively, time constraints on foragingand development, resulting from a short growing season, couldinduce spiders to continue foraging even when supplemented withprey. The cost of web building was measured as time and massloss. To build an average size web (about 150 cm²), we calculatedthat a spider requires 6 h and that spiders lose 3%-7% of their weight.In field experiments, spiders responded differently to food supplementationin 2 different years. In 1994, they improved their condition comparedto individuals whose webs were removed to reduce foraging opportunitiesand compared to control spiders. In 1995, spiders tested earlier inthe season than the previous year did not improve their conditionin response to prey supplementation. Nonetheless, in both years, food-supplementedspiders built significantly smaller webs than food-deprived andcontrol spiders. This result was confirmed in a laboratory experiment whereprey intake was controlled. We conclude that for S. lineatus immediateforaging risks outweigh the potential time constraints on foraging.     

Jumping spiders attend to context during learned avoidance of aposematic prey

A large number of studies on both animals and humans have demonstratedthat learning is influenced by context or secondary cues thatare present when an association is formed. Few studies, however,have examined the functional value of attending to context.We first demonstrated that jumping spiders, Phidippus princeps,could be trained to avoid aposematic, distasteful milkweed bugs,Oncopeltus fasciatus. Spiders readily attacked bugs on firstexposure but were significantly less likely to do so after eighttrials, although they subsequently attacked and ate crickets.Spiders exposed to nontoxic milkweed bugs reared on sunflowerseeds did not show the same decline in attack rate. We nextexamined the effects of secondary contextual cues on spiderlearning by training spiders to avoid milkweed bugs in one oftwo environments. When spiders were tested in an environmentdifferent from the one in which they were trained, attack ratesincreased, and spiders no longer demonstrated retention of theassociation. Spiders tested in the same environment in whichthey were trained continued to avoid attacking the bugs. Theseresults have potential consequences for the evolution of bothpredator and prey and point to the importance of studying context-dependentlearning.     

黄绿绿僵菌对两种稻田蜘蛛捕杀褐飞虱作用的影响

在室内研究了喷施黄绿绿僵菌Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum Driver et Milner孢子悬液对稻田蜘蛛捕杀褐飞虱作用的影响。结果表明,黄绿绿僵菌不感染拟水狼蛛Pirata subpiraticus Bsenberg et Strand和食虫沟瘤蛛Ummeliata inse cticeps Bsenberg et Strand,只对蜘蛛喷施菌液不影响它们的捕杀褐飞虱的能力。而对褐飞虱喷施黄绿绿僵菌液后,褐飞虱活力明显下降,导致蜘蛛对其捕杀效果显著提高。在喷施黄绿绿僵菌106 、107、108/mL孢子浓度后,拟水狼蛛的平均捕杀量分别为10.5头/d、11.1头/d和11.4头/d,食虫沟瘤蛛的平均捕杀量分别为3.8头/d、4.3头/d和4.7头/d,均显著大于对照组。对蜘蛛和褐飞虱同时喷施黄绿绿僵菌不影响前者的捕杀力。这些结果提示,在稻田施用黄绿绿僵菌防治稻飞虱对蜘蛛天敌没有不良影响。     

Function of being colorful in web spiders: attracting prey or camouflaging oneself?

Bright body colorations of orb-weaving spiders have been hypothesizedto be attractive to insects and thus function to increase foragingsuccess. However, the color signals of these spiders are alsoconsidered to be similar to those of the vegetation background,and thus the colorations function to camouflage the spiders.In this study, we evaluated these 2 hypotheses by field experimentsand by quantifying the spiders' visibility to insects. We firstcompared the insect interception rates of orbs constructed bythe orchid spider, Leucauge magnifica, with and without thespider. Orbs with spiders intercepted significantly more insectsthan orbs without. Such a result supported the prey attractionbut not the camouflaging hypothesis. We then tested whetherbright body colorations were responsible for L. magnifica'sattractiveness to insects by manipulating the spiders' colorsignals with paint. Alteration of color signals significantlyreduced L. magnifica's insect interception and consumption rates,indicating that these spiders' bright body parts were attractiveto insects. Congruent with the finding of field manipulationswere the color contrasts of various body parts of these spiders.When viewed against the vegetation background, the green bodyparts were lower, but the bright parts were significantly higherthan the discrimination threshold. Results of this study thusprovide direct evidence that bright body colorations of orbweavers function as visual lures to attract insects.     

Various Aspects of the Biology of Agelena consociata Denis when Bred in the Laboratory

SYNOPSIS. Agelena consociata Denis, which Chauvin discoveredin Gabon, when put in a laboratory, weaves nests which are 2m² and consist of three different parts: shelters, a web, andvertical threads used as a snare. The snare stops insects intheir flight and causes them to fall into the web which thespiders use as their hunting field. These spiders have a nocturnalactivity which can be divided into two successive periods: afirst stage during which the spiders weave vertical threads,and a second stage of general activity. Hunting and eating are done in common. These activities andthe relations between the individuals which they involve, showin a definite way the social characteristics of these spiders. Eating favors an exchange of chemical substance between theindividuals, but we have not been able to determine the exactpart played by such an exchange. As study proceeds, we shall try to make clear the relationshipsbetween the individuals inside the society. We shall analyzegroup effects on physiology and behavior, comparing them tothose found for Agelena labyrinthica.     

Fitness costs and benefits of antipredator behavior mediated by chemotactile cues in the wolf spider Pardosa milvina (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Animals may exhibit a variety of defensive behaviors in thepresence of indirect predator cues. Such behavior offers immediatefitness benefits but may also incur substantial foraging andreproductive costs. We measured shifts in space use (verticalclimbing) by the wolf spider Pardosa milvina induced by chemotactilecues (silk and excreta) from a co-occurring predatory wolfspider Hogna helluo. We then measured foraging and reproductive costs, as well as survival benefits, of this behavior. For 2weeks, we maintained mated adult female Pardosa in plasticcontainers with one of three treated peat moss substrates:a container previously occupied by a conspecific for 3 days,a container previously occupied by an adult Hogna for 3 days,and a container devoid of either cue (control). We measuredprey capture efficiency, body condition, egg sac production,egg sac weight, and egg number for individuals in each treatment.We also counted the number of Pardosa that survived and exhibitedclimbing behavior in the presence of a live Hogna with andwithout silk and excreta cues. Pardosa climbed container wallssignificantly more often in the presence of Hogna silk andexcreta relative to other treatments. Pardosa exposed to Hognacues coupled with live Hogna survived significantly longerthan spiders that had no predator cues available. Pardosa placedin containers with Hogna cues, but no Hogna, lost weight morequickly, ate fewer prey, were in poorer body condition, producedlighter egg sacs, and produced fewer eggs than spiders in controlor conspecific treatments.     

The effects of predation risk from crab spiders on bee foraging behavior

Recent studies have suggested that top–down effects ofpredation on plant–pollinator interactions may not be,as previously thought, rare and/or weak. In this paper, we explorethe effects of crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) on the behaviorof 2 species of bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) foraging for nectarand pollen on 3 different plant species in central Portugal.In 2 experiments, we found that the eusocial bee Apis melliferawas significantly less likely to inspect and accept a floweror inflorescence if it harbored a spider. In contrast, we foundno such effects of spiders on the behavior of the solitary beeEucera notata. Further experiments showed that the effects ofenvironmental cues associated with predators on flower visitationby A. mellifera were detectable even when no spider was presentat the moment a flower was encountered. Such indirect effectswere only identified, however, in bees foraging on 1 of 2 plantspecies studied. In a final experiment, A. mellifera was shownto respond negatively to the presence of the corpses of conspecificsglued to flowers. This suggests that prey corpses left exposedon petals or bracts by spiders provide an obvious cue that beescan use to avoid predators. These results add to a growing bodyof evidence that plant–pollinator interactions are notimmune to the effects of predation and suggest that the strengthof such effects vary both between and within species.     

Neuromuscular Systems in Neurogenic Arthropod Hearts

Neuromuscular transmission has been studied in detail by variousauthors in neurogenic hearts of decapod and stomatopod crustaceans,horseshoe crabs, and spiders. In these hearts, bursts of impulsesgenerated in the cardiac ganglion at regular intervals producedepolarizations of the muscle fibers. Each depolarization isassociated with a heart contraction. The depolarization is composedof many excitatory junction potentials (ejp's), each producedby a single nerve impulse. There is no evidence in Homarus,Squilla, or Limulus hearts that single ejp's or composites ofejp's give rise to regenerative membrane responses; in thesehearts, spontaneous depolarizations never overshoot the zeroreference level. Overshooting occurs in certain crab and crayfishhearts, and it is possible that muscle fibers of these heartsproduce regenerative membrane events. The muscle fibers of Limulus, Tachypleus and Homarus heartsare polyneuronally innervated. Pulse stimuli applied to nerve branches evoke ejp's that facilitatein hearts of Squilla and Homarus. In addition to facilitationin Homarus, there is also depression; at certain frequenciesof stimulation both facilitation and depression can be observed.Experiments in tarantula, Limulus, and Homarus hearts show thatL-glutamic acid mimics the natural transmitter substance.     

Risk Sensitivity and the Paradox of Colonial Web-Building in Spiders

Group foraging is rare in spiders, occurring only where preyavailability is high. If colonial web-building increases individualprey capture rates as shown, why does group foraging not occurmore often where prey are scarce? Risk sensitivity may explainthis paradox, as variance in prey capture is reduced in groups;risk-averse spiders should join groups only when prey exceeda threshold level. Field studies show that group foraging variesas predicted between species, between populations of a singlespecies, and between sites within a population. However, recentmodels suggest the necessity of examining variance within individualsover time rather than between individuals within populations.Additionally, mechanisms responsible for variance reductionin colonial webs may be less effective than previously assumed.New field data suggest that while prey variance over time maybe somewhat less for individual spiders in groups than for solitaries,the relationship between colonial web-building and variancein prey capture is far more complex than originally thought.The influence of risk sensitivity on reproductive success andthe evolution of colonial web-building is discussed.     

Pouncing spider, flying mosquito: blood acquisition increases predation risk in mosquitoes

Female mosquitoes dramatically increase their mass when bloodfeeding on their hosts. Such an increase could impact mosquitomortality risk by reducing escape speed and/or agility. We usedtwo laboratory-based experiments to test this notion. In thefirst, we allowed mature female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoesto feed from 0 to 4 min and then attacked those females withan artificial predator. We videotaped subsequent escape responseof each mosquito. Analysis of those responses clearly demonstratedan inverse relationship between increased mass and escape speed.In the second experiment, we exposed both blood-engorged andunfed A.gambiae females to single zebra spiders (Salticus scenicus)in small plexiglass cages. Here, we focused on mosquito escapesfrom searching and pouncing spiders. We found that engorgedmosquitoes were three times less likely to escape searchingspiders compared to unfed conspecifics. Thus we conclude thatblood feeding has substantial state-dependent risk both at thehost (experiment 1) and after feeding (experiment 2). Such riskcan be extended to a broad range of taxa.     

Attraction between social crab spiders: silk pheromones in Diaea socialis

The snare web is used as a medium for communication betweenindividuals within colonies of social spiders and has thereforebeen suggested as necessary for the evolution of sociality inthe Araneae. The social spider Diaea socialis (Thomisidae) isan exception because it does not build a snare web. Experimentsdemonstrate that silk attracts all spiders and that a chemicaldeposited onto the silk attracts adult female spiders, suggestingthat the group living of this species is mediated by a pheromone.The pheromone attracts spiders differentially: females are notattracted to juvenile silk, and it repels gravid females. Thepheromone appears to be stable but volatile, is ether-soluble,and retains its viability after dissolution. Molecular-ionicmasses for 7-8 different compounds were found in the range 220–281atomic units; the pheromone may be one or a combination of severalof these.     

Choosing hunting sites with little information: patch-choice responses of crab spiders to distant cues

Adult female crab spiders (Misumena valid) released in a meadowmoved to milkweed stems more often than to other sites and alsomoved to flowering milkweed stems more often than to equallyavailable nonflowering ones. Preferences of the spiders as apopulation were similar during initial and second trials, butgiven individuals did not repeat their initial choices moreoften than predicted by chance. Thus, spiders probably respondeddirectly to cues present, rather than to information retainedfrom earlier experience. Spiders placed at the base of floweringmilkweed stems did not choose these sites more often than predictedby chance or more often than did spiders released in the grass,suggesting that this increase in localization provided no additionalinformation for choosing a hunting site. However, spiders placedat the bases of nonflowering stems selected them less oftenthan predicted. Second trials with these spiders also resembledinitial trials, but, as with the spiders released in the grass,given individuals did not repeat their initial performance moreoften than predicted. Thus, spiders released in the grass probablyresponded directly to cues present, as did spiders releasedat the base of stems. The choices of these spiders, combinedwith flexible giving-up times, caused the spiders to be concentratedon flowering stems. Although this strategy results in a better-than-randompattern of selecting hunting sites, the spiders lose considerableforaging time in the process.     

Hunting Behavior in the Ctenizidae

The most primitive way of hunting in Mygalomorph spiders seemsto be the free roaming and catching of encountered prey Theraphosidae.The trap-door spiders Ctenizidae, Actinopodidae and Barychelidawhich are entirely sedentary, lie in wait behind the trap-doorand leap at prey that happens to pass close to the door. Somespecies spin radial silk threads outside the door which functionas stumbleor signal-lines, and some Australian species use grassblades and other litter in the same way. A further evolutionarystep leads to species which do not build a trap-door but crowntheir burrow by a funnel-shaped web. The Dipluridae finallyare real web-builders, which depend on a sheet-web to catchtheir prey. Generally they do not dig a burrow but hide in asmall retreat from which a funnel-web leads to the net. With a few exceptions Ctenizidae are entirely nocturnal. Theirrhythm of activity has been analyzed. The "Zeitgeber" is thedaylight during the last half hour before sunset. Most trapdoorspiders never leave their burrow during their whole life. Theyneed three to four years from hatching to become adults. Adultmales die during or at the end of the restricted mating-season;they take no food when adult. Females, which undergo post-adultmolts, can probably live for 15–20 years. Nemesia caementaria, like most other species, hunts during thewhole night. The mean time of activity is about Si/o hours,consisting of periods of lying in wait and periods of intermediaterests. The spiders make an average of three leaps per nightto catch a prey, but only about 10% of all bounds are successful.A hungry animal, lurking in vain, shows unmotivated leaps. The effects of light, moisture, and temperature on hunting activityare analyzed. Ctenizidae hunt during autumn, winter, and springbut interrupt their activity in summer for an estivation whichlasts usually two months. The females of some species capture the male after mating andeat him; others never attack him. This difference in behaviorlias repercussions on reproduction. Among certain species the young nymphs of the third instar refuseall food until they have made their own burrow and can huntby themselves. The young of other species stay with the motherfor one year and leave her at the fifth or sixth instar to maketheir own burrow. The young of Nemesia caementaria can remainin the burrow of the mother until they are almost adult, i.e.,for two or three years, and feed on the prey the mother hascaught. The behavior of Ctenizidae can be grouped. Some species lurkbehind the closed or almost closed trap-door. Another groupopens the trap-door and puts the pedipalpi and the two anteriorpairs of legs radially out onto the rim of the burrow, whilethe cephalothorax is hidden behind the trap-door. A third groupspins threads of silk radially about the entrance and uses themas signal-lines. A fourth group can come out and pursue theprey, then drags it to the trap-door and into the burrow. The nature of the prey depends on the bio tope. The Ctenizidaefeed almost exclusively on insects, mainly ants and beetles;in the laboratory crickets are accepted as prey. Ctenizidae have no tarsal organ. They have different types oftrichobothria, transversal and longitudinal slit-organs, andlyriform organs. With these three kinds of sense-organs, thefunctions of which are not clearly understood, the trap-doorspiders are able to perceive the approach of prey, to judgeits distance from the trap-door, and to locate it in direction.They seem to have an organ of smell, since certain groups ofinsects are repulsive to them. Sight is not used for hunting.     

Conditional use of honest signaling by a Batesian mimic

Jumping spiders (Salticidae) usually avoid ants, but some specieswithin this family single out ants as preferred prey, whileothers (especially the species in the genus Myrmarachne) areBatesian mimics of ants. Field records show that ant-eatingsalticids sometimes prey on Myrmarachne, suggesting that theunwanted attention of predators that specialize on the modelmay be an important, but poorly understood, cost of Batesianmimicry. By staging encounters in the laboratory between livingant-eating salticids and Myrmarachne, we determined that ant-eatingsalticids attack Myrmarachne. However, when Myrmarachne detectsa stalking ant-eating salticid early enough, it adopts a distinctivedisplay posture (legs almost fully extended, elevated 45°,and held out to the side 45°), and this usually deters thepredator. When Myrmarachne detects an ant-eating salticid beforestalking begins, Myrmarachne makes preemptive displays thatappear to inhibit the initiation of stalking. Using immobilelures made from dead Myrmarachne that were either in a displayposture or a nondisplay posture, we ascertained that specificallythe display posture of Myrmarachne deters the initiation ofstalking (ant-eating salticids stalked nondisplaying more oftenthan displaying lures). In another experiment, we ascertainedthat it is specifically the interjection of display posturethat deters stalking. When ant-eating salticids that had alreadybegun stalking experienced lures that switched from a nondisplayto a display posture, they stopped stalking. Although the unwantedattentions of its models' predators may be, for Myrmarachne,a hidden cost of Batesian mimicry, Myrmarachne appears to havean effective defense against these predators.     

Sexual advertisement and immune function in an arachnid species (Lycosidae)

A simple version of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesizesthat through condition-dependence, the size of the sexual traitmay be positively related to immune function at the populationlevel. In the present study, we investigated the relationshipbetween sexual advertisement and immune function in a naturalpopulation of male wolf spiders, Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata (Araneae:Lycosidae). Males of H. rubrofasciata have a costly and condition-dependentacoustic signal, courtship drumming. In the mating season, malesdrum against dry leaves while wandering around the habitat searchingfor receptive females. Males increase their mating success byincreasing their drumming rate and mobility. We used drummingrate and mobility measured without female proximity as estimatesof sexual advertisement. As estimates of male immune function,we used encapsulation rate and lytic activity. Encapsulationrate is a common challenging technique, which measures immuneresponse against multicellular parasites. Lytic activity isa monitoring technique, which measures immune response againstpathogens. Our results show that males with higher drummingrate had higher encapsulation rate. This suggests that femalesmight use drumming rate as a signal for choosing males withgood immunocompetence. Moreover, our results show that maleswith higher mobility had higher lytic activity. As females aremore likely to encounter those males that have higher mobility,this might also select males with better immune function. Ourresults suggest that the immunocompetence handicap might workalso among spiders, although we could not assess the causalityof the relationship between sexual selection and immune functionin this correlational study.     

Do stabilimenta in orb webs attract prey or defend spiders?

Orb-weaving spiders are ideal organisms for the study of conflictbetween behavioral investments in foraging and defense becausetheir webs provide physical manifestations of those investments.We examined the impact of including stabilimenta, designs ofbright-white noncapture silk, at the center of orb webs forforaging and defense in Argiope aurantia. Our findings suggestthat stabilimentum building is a defensive behavior, supportingthe "web advertisement" hypothesis that the high visibilityof stabilimenta can prevent birds from flying through webs.Yet, spiders often do not include stabilimenta in their webs,indicating that a serious cost is associated with them. We alsoshow, through comparison of paired webs with and without stabilimenta,that stabilimenta reduce the prey capture success of spidersby almost 30%. This demonstrates the potential impact that defensivebehaviors of spiders can have on their foraging success andsuggests that much of the variation in stabilimenta may be accountedfor by a cost—benefit trade-off made when including stabilimentain webs.