Adaptive advantages of maternal care and matriphagy in a foliage spider,Chiracanthium japonicum (Araneae: Coubionidae)

I examined the function of maternal care in a foliage spider,Chiracanthium japonicum. Females of this species make breeding nests with rolled-up grass leaves and provide themselves to spiderlings as food at the end of maternal care. By removing mothers from their offspring at 2 different times, the effects of maternal care on egg and spiderling survival rates were estimated separately. Mother attendance greatly improved survival and development of eggs as well as spiderlings. Detailed observations on the fate of immatures in breeding nests with and without their mothers showed lower hatching and spiderling emergence rates when mothers were removed. Furthermore, spiderlings that fed on their mother’s body showed accelerated growth and quickly molted into the 3rd instar with the delay of dispersal. This suggests that matriphagy, or eating the mother, enables spiderlings of this species to disperse at a later instar. Therefore, I conclude that the maternal care of this spider consists of guarding offspring, supporting offspring development and feeding spiderlings.     

Inter-sexual combat and resource allocation into body parts in the spider, Stegodyphus lineatus

Abstract.  1. Sexual conflict, which results from the divergence of genetic interests between males and females, is predicted to affect multiple behavioural, physiological, and morphological traits.
2. Sexual conflict over mating may interact with population density to produce predictable changes in resource allocation into inter-sexual armament.
3. In the spider Stegodyphus lineatus , males fight with females over re-mating. The outcome of the fight is influenced by the cephalothorax size of the contestants. The investment in armament – the cephalothorax, may be traded-off against investment in abdomen, which is a trait that affects survival and fecundity. Pay-offs may depend on population density. Both sexes are expected to adjust resource allocation into different body parts accordingly.
4. Males had increased cephalothorax/body size ratio in low densities where probability of finding another receptive female is low and females had increased cephalothorax/body size ratio in high densities where cumulative costs of multiple mating are high.
5. The results support the theoretical conjecture that population density affects resource allocation into inter-sexual armament and call for further research on the interaction between sexual selection and population density.     

Spiderling sex ratio and maternal investment in the bolas spider Mastophora cornigera (Araneae,Araneidae)

Male Mastophora cornigera exit egg sacs as adults, which allowed us to determine spiderling sex ratios and patterns of maternal investment in this species. We collected 15 egg sacs produced by seven mothers, which yielded 1945 emergent spiderlings which were sexed, 1850 of which were weighed. Two emergent broods were significantly male and female biased and were unaffected by pre-emergence mortality. The weights of male and female spiderlings differed in eight broods, with males and females being heavier in four cases each. Five of these broods were derived from multiple egg sac sets produced by one mother, and in each case, the total mean male and female spiderling weights for all broods in a set were biased in the same direction as the biased brood(s) within that set. Mean emergent spiderling weight was independent of brood size and sex ratio for both males and females. Despite such independence, sex allocation in M. cornigera can favor sons, daughters, or both equally, and by numbers, by weight, or both at once. The proximate mechanisms and adaptive significance of such variability is unknown. We also review evidence for gender-biased allocations in arachnid offspring and suggested mechanisms for their applicability to M. cornigera.     

洱海周边2种寄生蜂对拟环纹豹蛛和星豹蛛卵孵化的影响

为探讨Hidryta sp．和Idris sp．对云南洱海周边拟环纹豹蛛Pardosa pseudoannulata（Boes．＆Str．）和星豹蛛Pastvigera C．L．Koch卵孵化的影响,对具卵囊的拟环纹豹蛛和星豹蛛进行为期1年的野外采集和室内卵囊孵化观察,发现Hidryta sp．寄生蜘蛛卵囊后,每个卵囊内仅羽化出1只蜂,不再有幼蛛孵化出;而被Idris sp．寄生后每个卵囊羽化出一至数十只蜂,仍有幼蛛孵化出。比较未被寄生与被寄生蜘蛛卵囊的孵化量显示,拟环纹豹蛛未被寄生与被Idrissp．寄生后的孵化量间无显著差异（P〉0．05）;星豹蛛未被寄生与被Idris sp．寄生后的孵化量问存在显著差异（P〈0．01）。比较单位个体孵化量显示,Hidrytasp．对拟环纹豹蛛卵孵化的影响程度大于Idris sp．;而Hidrytasp．对星豹蛛卵孵化的影响程度小于Idris sp．。     

田间施药对拟环纹豹蛛羧酸酯酶和乙酰胆碱酯酶分布及活性的影响

利用紫外分光光度法,对化学防治田(化防田)和生物防治田(生防田)中的拟环纹豹蛛Pardosa pseudoannulata体内乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)和羧酸酯酶(CarE)的分布及其活性进行了比较研究。结果表明,生防田拟环纹豹蛛身体各分部的AChE活性[包括头胸部1.251 nmol/(mg·min)、腹部0.467 nmol/(mg·min)和附肢0.760 nmol/(mg·min)]均高于化防田蜘蛛[包括头胸部0.895 nmol/(mg·min)、腹部0.445 nmol/(mg·min)和附肢0.724 nmol/(mg·min)],而生防田豹蛛的CarE活性[包括头胸部0.122 nmol/(mg·min)、腹部0.593 nmol/(mg·min)和附肢0.073 nmol/(mg·min)]均低于化防田蜘蛛[包括头胸部0.158 nmol/(mg·min)、腹部0.708 nmol/(mg·min)和附肢0.115 nmol/(mg·min)],说明化防田拟环纹豹蛛产生了一定程度的抗药性。拟环纹豹蛛体内的AChE主要集中在头胸部,CarE主要集中在腹部,这种分布特征是与其抗药性机制相适应的,并对其抗药性机制的形成做出了初步解释。这些结果也提示,拟环纹豹蛛对甲胺磷等农药的抗性不能在短期内形成,必须经历水稻→害虫→蜘蛛的较长的适应演化过程。     

寡居种悦目金蛛若蛛群居机制初步研究

对寡居种悦目金蛛Argiope amoena若蛛群居生活对其结网的影响、温度和种群大小对若蛛存活率的影响、若蛛对限制性空间的利用及其扩散方式进行了观察和研究.结果表明,若蛛从卵袋出蛰后不经历群居扩散即具备结网能力,可结完整网,也具备在扩散前不进食水存活的能力;在变温条件下若蛛存活率要远远高于室温条件下的存活率,而在室温条件下若蛛开始死亡和半数死亡的时间比其聚居期长得多;若蛛主要通过群体空中扩散的方式进行扩散,可以减小能耗与敌害的威胁;不同种群大小的若蛛在限制性空间的分布均从第5d左右开始发生较大变化的,这与在空间不受限的条件下若蛛在第5d开始扩散的结果是一致的.据此我们推断:个体扩散代价最小化(包括御敌和能耗)和维持种群较高的生存率可能是寡居种悦目金蛛若蛛群居生活的主要原因.     

Variation in life-history characteristics over a clinal gradient in three populations of a communal orb-weaving spider

Summary Adult size and fecundity, total reproductive biomass, egg size, and spiderling size and resistance to desiccation were compared in three populations of the communal orb-weaving spider,Metepeira spinipes, in Mexico. In a desert population and in one from a moist tropical forest adult size, fecundity, and total reproductive biomass were similar, but were markedly smaller than in a climatologically intermediate agricultural habitat. Egg size and protein content were greater in the desert and agricultural habitats than in the moist forest, but spiderling size increased from desert to agricultural to moist forest populations. Desert spiderlings survived significantly longer than moist forest spiderlings at all humidity treatments over a 10% to 100% range. An explanation for these results is proposed based on apparent differences in energy allocation and expenditure which arise from the distinct climate, colony structure, and prey and space availability in the three habitats.     

Offspring recognition by mother crab spiders with extreme maternal care

Maternal care is provided by several spider species, but there are no reports of mother spiders recognizing their young, which suggests that maternal care can be exploited by unrelated individuals. Diaea ergandros, a crab spider with extreme, sacrificial maternal care, does accept unrelated spiderlings (ca. 43.9% of spiderlings) into its nest in areas of high nest density. However, a field and a laboratory experiment with mother spiders and natural and adoptive spiderlings demonstrated that mothers did recognize their own offspring. Recognition was not expressed in survival as adopted (unrelated) spiderlings had similar survival rate to that of natural offspring. Instead it was displayed in growth; mother D. ergandros caught large prey items for their own offspring, but not for adopted spiderlings, and so natural offspring grew more than adopted spiderlings. Also, mothers produced trophic oocytes, which are important for the sacrificial care that influences spiderling survival, only when they lived with their own offspring.     

Relation between the outer cover of the egg case of Argiope aurantia (Araneae: Araneidae) and the emergence of its spiderlings

To emerge from the egg case, Argiope aurantia spiderlings must penetrate a tightly woven outer cover composed primarily of large-diameter cylindrical gland fibers and small-diameter fibers, likely of aciniform gland origin. They accomplish this using enzymatic digestion and mastication to form a communal hole in the outer cover. The involvement of proteolytic enzymes in this process was demonstrated by zymography of spiderling homogenates and washes made from the edges of holes. The specific source(s) of the proteases is unknown, but histological examination of spiderling sections indicates that the digestive tract, venom glands, and gnathocoxal glands are all functioning at the time of emergence from the egg case. Observations on edges of holes indicate that spiderlings are able to solubilize the small-diameter fibers completely, but cylindrical gland fibers only partially. In the outer cover, cylindrical fibers are composed of numerous fibrils embedded within a matrix. Spiderlings appear to be unable to solubilize the fibrils, but digestion of the matrix allows the spiderlings to push the fibrils aside to create the opening.     

Female fecundity and offspring survival are not increased through sexual cannibalism in the spider Larinioides sclopetarius

Many hypotheses explaining the evolution and maintenance of sexual cannibalism incorporate the nutritional aspect of the consumption of males. Most studies have focused on a fecundity advantage through consumption of a male; however, recent studies have raised the intriguing possibility that consumption of a male may also affect offspring quality. In particular, recent studies suggest prolonged survival for offspring from sexually cannibalistic females. Here, we measured the protein and lipid content of males compared to insect prey (crickets), quantified female nutrient intake of both prey types and finally assessed how sexual cannibalism affects female fecundity and spiderling quality in the orb‐web spider Larinioides sclopetarius. We found no evidence that sexual cannibalism increased fecundity when compared to a female control group fed a cricket. Contrary to previous studies, spiderlings from females fed a male showed reduced survival under food deprivation compared to spiderlings from the control group. Offspring from females fed a male also tended to begin web construction sooner. The low lipid content of males compared to crickets may have reduced offspring survival duration. Whether additional proteins obtained through consumption of a male translate to enhanced silk production in offspring requires further investigation.     

Benefits of extra food to reproduction depend on maternal condition

The amount of food resources available to upper‐level consumers can show marked variations in time and space, potentially resulting in food limitation. The availability of food resources during reproduction is a key factor modulating variation in reproductive success and life‐history tradeoffs, including patterns of resource allocation to reproduction versus self‐maintenance, ultimately impacting on population dynamics. Food provisioning experiments constitute a popular approach to assess the importance of food limitation for vertebrate reproduction. In this study of a mesopredatory avian species, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, we provided extra food to breeding individuals from egg laying to early nestling rearing. Extra food did not significantly affect adult body condition or oxidative status. However, it increased the allocation of resources to flight feathers moult and induced females to lay heavier eggs. Concomitantly, it alleviated the costs of laying heavier eggs for females in poor body condition, and reduced their chances of nest desertion (implying complete reproductive failure). Extra food provisioning improved early nestling growth (body mass and feather development). Moreover, extra food significantly reduced the negative effects of ectoparasites on nestling body mass, while fostering forearm (a flight apparatus trait) growth among highly parasitized nestlings. Our results indicate that lesser kestrels invested the extra food mainly to improve current reproduction, suggesting that population growth in this species can be limited by food availability during the breeding season. In addition, extra food provisioning reduced the costs of the moult–breeding overlap and affected early growth tradeoffs by mitigating detrimental ectoparasite effects on growth and enhancing development of the flight apparatus with high levels of parasitism. Importantly, our findings suggest that maternal condition is a major trait modulating the benefits of extra food to reproduction, whereby such benefits mostly accrue to low‐quality females with poor body condition.     

Offspring size in Daphnia: does it pay to be overweight?

Variation in offspring size and number has beendescribed for a wide range of organisms. In this studyI investigated the relationship between resource levelof the mother and size of her offspring in thecladoceran Daphnia magna, in order to assess whetheroffspring produced at different food levels areoptimal in size for these food levels. Optimaloffspring size was defined as the size of offspringthat yields the highest parental fitness (i.e.offspring of optimal size have the highest juvenilefitness per unit maternal effort invested in them). Iobserved that especially at the higher food levels,daphnids produced offspring that are larger than thecomputed optimal offspring size at these food levels.I interpret this as a mechanism to avoid starvation ofneonates in the case of suddenly deteriorating foodconditions.     

The allometry of CNS size and consequences of miniaturization in orb-weaving and cleptoparasitic spiders

Allometric studies of the gross neuroanatomy of adults from nine species of spiders from six web-weaving families (Orbicularia), and nymphs from six of these species, show that very small spiders resemble other small animals in having disproportionately larger central nervous systems (CNSs) relative to body mass when compared with large-bodied forms. Small spiderlings and minute adult spiders have similar relative CNS volumes. The relatively large CNS of a very small spider occupies up to 78% of the cephalothorax volume. The CNSs of very small spiders extend into their coxae, occupying as much as 26% of the profile area of the coxae of an Anapisona simoni spiderling (body mass < 0.005 mg). Such modifications occur both in species with minute adults, and in tiny spiderlings of species with large-bodied adults. In at least one such species, Leucauge mariana, the CNS of the spiderling extends into a prominent ventral bulge of the sternum. Tiny spiders also have reduced neuronal cell body diameters. The adults of nearly all orbicularian spiders weave prey capture webs, as do the spiderlings, beginning with second instar nymphs. Comparable allometric relations occur in adults of both orb-weaving and cleptoparasitic species, indicating that this behavioral difference is not reflected in differences in gross CNS allometry.     

Moult and its Relation to Eruptive Activity in the Bearded Reedling

Eruptive dispersal of the east Suffolk Bearded Reedling population has been a regular feature of recent autumn seasons and has led to the establishment of new colonies. The author discusses the interdependence of this interesting behaviour with the breeding and moult cycles, autumn weather conditions and potential food shortage due to high population levels.     

Food imprinting and subsequent prey preference in the lynx spider,Oxyopes salticus (Araneae: Oxyopidae)

This object of this study was to determine if early feeding experience can affect subsequent prey choice in lynx spiderlings (Oxyopes salticus), and if so, is it evidence for food/olfactory imprinting. After emergence from the egg sac, three groups of 10 spiderlings were each fed exclusively for a 1-week period on one of three naturally-occurring prey species (crickets): group 1 fed on nymphs of Gryllotalpa hexadactyla; group 2 (Dialeurodes citrifoli); group 3 (Microcentrum rhombifolium). Following this, they were tested for subsequent prey preference in choice tests conducted in a plastic arena. Each spiderling was presented simultaneously with one individual of each prey species in a randomized design. Spiderlings exhibited a significant first preference for the original diet. Thus, experience with certain foods encountered by newly hatched spiderlings can affect subsequent prey preference in this species. Given the primacy of the early experience, the results are best interpreted in terms of imprinting and represent the first demonstration of olfactory imprinting in a spider.     

The Influence of Maternal Quality on Brood Sex Allocation in the Small Carpenter Bee,Ceratina calcarata

In the twig‐nesting carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, body size is an important component of maternal quality, smaller mothers producing significantly fewer and smaller offspring than larger mothers. As mothers precisely control the sex and size of each offspring, smaller mothers might compensate by preferentially allocating their investment towards sons. We investigated whether variation in maternal quality leads to variation in sex allocation patterns. At the population level, the numerical sex ratio was 57% male‐biased (1.31 M/F), but the investment between the sexes was balanced (1.02 M/F), because females are 38% larger than males (1.28 F/M). Maternal body size explained both sex allocation pattern and size variation among offspring: larger mothers invested more in individual progeny and produced more female offspring than smaller mothers. Maternal investment in offspring of both sexes decreased throughout the season, probably as a result of increasing maternal wear and age. The exception to this pattern was the curious production of dwarf females in the first two brood cell positions. We suggest that the sex ratio distribution reflects the maternal body size distribution and a constraint on small mothers to produce small broods. This leads to male‐biased allocation by small females, to which large mothers respond by biasing their allocation towards daughters.     

Observational evidence of risk-sensitive reproductive allocation in a long-lived mammal

Organisms should adopt a risk-sensitive reproductive allocation when summer reproductive allocation competes with survival in the coming winter. This trade off is shown through autumn female body mass, which acts as an insurance against unpredictable winter environmental conditions. We tested this hypothesis on female reindeer in a population that has experienced a time period of dramatic increase in abundance. Environmental conditions during winter were fairly stable (with the exception of 1 year). We conclude that increased population abundance (perhaps in interaction with winter environmental conditions) could have represented a worsening of winter environmental conditions as both autumn offspring and spring female body mass decreased during the course of the study. Moreover, we found that the cost of reproduction was related to environmental conditions as: (1) autumn body mass was larger for barren than for lactating females, and this difference was temporally highly variable; (2) lactating females produced smaller offspring than barren ones in the following year; and (3) reproductive output (offspring size) decreased over time. We also found evidence of quality effects as lactating females had a higher reproductive success in the following year. In sum, a worsening of winter conditions lead to: (1) decreased reproductive output; (2) lowered autumn body mass for lactating females; and (3) increased body mass for barren females. Since females reduce their reproductive allocation as winter conditions becomes more severe, we conclude that reindeer have adopted a risk-sensitive reproductive allocation.     

拟环纹豹蛛的生物生态学研究

运用田间观察和室内外饲养相结合的方法,对稻田蜘蛛优势种拟环纹豹蛛Pardosa pseudoannulata的生物生态学特性进行了研究。拟环纹豹蛛在湘西北1年发生2～3代,第3代不完整,以第2代历期最短,第3代（越冬代）历期最长;以成蛛、亚成蛛或幼蛛越冬,其分布图式为聚集分布;4月下旬即由田埂向稻田内迁移,在水稻生育期有3次数量高峰; 属游猎型蜘蛛,可步行在水稻、水面、陆地等处捕食飞虱、叶蝉等多种目标害虫; 受惊时潜入水中或潜伏。雌雄蛛均可多次交配,雌蛛一生最多可产卵5次,实验种群卵囊含卵量76～337粒,平均156粒。孵化的幼蛛,先群集在雌蛛背面,3～5天后开始扩散,6～7天扩散到高峰。幼蛛期47～158天;成蛛期121～236天,雌蛛较雄蛛长21～62天。性比除第2代外的各代均为雄性多于雌性。本文详细记述了拟环纹豹蛛的求偶与交配行为,产卵与护卵习性,孵化与携幼行为,幼蛛生长、蜕皮、各龄期形态特征及耐饥、耐旱能力等。     

Maternal investment in a spider with suicidal maternal care, Stegodyphus lineatus (Araneae, Eresidae)

Providing parental care is costly for the parent, but generally beneficial for the young whose survival, growth and reproductive value can be increased. Selection should strongly favour an optimal distribution of parental resources, depending on the relationship between the costs and benefits for parents and their offspring. Parental care is characterized by trade offs in investment, for example between egg size and number of young or providing resources at the egg stage versus the post-hatching stage. Females of the spider Stegodyphus lineatus (Eresidae) produce a single small brood with small eggs and provide the young with regurgitated fluid and later, with their body contents via matriphagy. We asked whether females adjust the investment of resources differentially into eggs, regurgitation feeding and matriphagy, and how maternal investment affects the size of the young at dispersal. We followed the growth of young of broods in the lab and in the field and manipulated brood size in order to determine the pattern of resource allocation. We found that brood size was positively correlated with body mass: larger females had larger broods. Females provided 95% of their body mass to the young, allocating more resources to regurgitation than to matriphagy. Females provided regurgitated food to the young according to the brood size, providing less food when the brood was reduced. Maternal resources had a large influence on offspring mass at dispersal, which is likely to affect their future fitness. The study shows the importance of the female's body mass and her resource allocation decisions for her reproductive outcome.     

Phenotypic plasticity in growth and fecundity induced by strong population fluctuations affects reproductive traits of female fish

Fish are known for their high phenotypic plasticity in life‐history traits in relation to environmental variability, and this is particularly pronounced among salmonids in the Northern Hemisphere. Resource limitation leads to trade‐offs in phenotypic plasticity between life‐history traits related to the reproduction, growth, and survival of individual fish, which have consequences for the age and size distributions of populations, as well as their dynamics and productivity. We studied the effect of plasticity in growth and fecundity of vendace females on their reproductive traits using a series of long‐term incubation experiments. The wild parental fish originated from four separate populations with markedly different densities, and hence naturally induced differences in their growth and fecundity. The energy allocation to somatic tissues and eggs prior to spawning served as a proxy for total resource availability to individual females, and its effects on offspring survival and growth were analyzed. Vendace females allocated a rather constant proportion of available energy to eggs (per body mass) despite different growth patterns depending on the total resources in the different lakes; investment into eggs thus dictated the share remaining for growth. The energy allocation to eggs per mass was higher in young than in old spawners and the egg size and the relative fecundity differed between them: Young females produced more and smaller eggs and larvae than old spawners. In contrast to earlier observations of salmonids, a shortage of maternal food resources did not increase offspring size and survival. Vendace females in sparse populations with ample resources and high growth produced larger eggs and larvae. Vendace accommodate strong population fluctuations by their high plasticity in growth and fecundity, which affect their offspring size and consequently their recruitment and productivity, and account for their persistence and resilience in the face of high fishing mortality.