Prey preference of the wolf spider,Pardosa pseudoannulata (Boesenberg et Strand)

Functional responses of the wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata (Boesenberg et Strand) attacking the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål.), and the mirid predator Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Reuter were both those of Holling Type II. The attack rate was higher and handling time lower for C. lividipennis. However, when caged with the two prey, the wolf spider showed a significant preference for N. lugens at a lower prey proportion. Proportions of prey attacked were significantly different from the expected ratios of prey available as well as from the predicted preferences derived from the functional response parameters. As proportions of N. lugens attacked changed from greater to less than expected as the proportions of N. lugens available increased, a “reverse switch” behaviour seems to be evident.     

Aerial dispersal plasticity under different wind velocities in a salt marsh wolf spider

Dispersal can be regarded as a process operating both betweenand within patches of suitable habitat. For uncontrolled dispersalprocesses, the risk of crossing the borders of the habitat patchand arriving in the unsuitable landscape matrix will increasewith decreasing patch area, in particular when the distancebetween isolated habitat patches is larger than the species'average dispersal capacity. Ballooning dispersal in spiderscan be considered as a passive dispersal process, in which disperseddistances depend on the prevalent wind velocity. We executeda reaction norm analysis to analyze how dispersal propensityof the salt marsh wolf spider Pardosa purbeckensis dependedon population characteristics (patch size) and the environment(wind velocity). Dispersal propensity was affected by the interactionbetween wind velocity and maternal patch size. Ballooning propensitiesdecreased with decreasing salt marsh size. Interestingly, genotypesfrom large salt marshes show higher ballooning propensitiesunder higher wind velocities, whereas those from small habitatpatches show their highest dispersal propensity under low windvelocities. Crossing reaction norms and subsequently stronggenotype x environment interaction variation was observed inall populations but tended to be lower in genotypes from largesalt marshes. It is likely that this pattern results from differencesin wind velocity–related costs of within-habitat dispersalin salt marshes of different sizes.     

拟环纹豹蛛对白背飞虱的嗅觉反应

采用视觉屏蔽法和Y型嗅觉仪法研究了拟环纹豹蛛Pardosa pseudoannulata.雌性成虫对水稻害虫白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera嗅觉反应.在视觉屏蔽的条件下,拟环纹豹蛛对被刺死猎物的捕食成功率为78.95%,高于没有视觉屏蔽蜘蛛的捕食成功率(68.18%),但2者间差异不显著;而在Y型嗅觉仪中,34.38%拟环纹豹蛛雌性成虫能正确选择猎物的方向,显著高于错误的选择(6.25%).因此,拟环纹豹蛛能依靠嗅觉正确判断猎物的方向而进行捕食活动.     

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.     

低剂量杀虫剂对星豹蛛捕食效应的影响及其机理

探讨低剂量杀虫剂对蜘蛛捕食效应的影响及其生化机理。采用药膜法,测定了低剂量吡虫啉作用下,星豹蛛和甘蓝蚜敏感性、捕食效应以及成蛛体内乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)、谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTs)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和中肠蛋白消化酶的活力变化。低剂量农药作用下,星豹蛛对甘蓝蚜的功能反应类型为HollingⅡ型,与对照组相比,随着猎物密度的增大星豹蛛的捕食量增加,寻找效应降低,对猎物的处理时间Th缩短,从而增强了对猎物的捕食作用;低剂量农药处理后,星豹蛛体内AChE和GSTs活性均显著低于对照组(P0.05),说明酶活性受到抑制,且抑制作用随吡虫啉浓度的增大而加强,随作用时间的延长而减弱;SOD,CAT和中肠蛋白消化酶活性显著增强,与对照组相比存在显著或极显著差异(P0.05),且随吡虫啉浓度增大和作用时间的延长而逐渐降低,最后接近对照组。低剂量杀虫剂作用下,蜘蛛体内AChE活性受到抑制,AChE敏感性降低,对神经递质乙酰胆碱的分解作用下降,使蜘蛛的兴奋性增加;GSTs、SOD、CAT等代谢酶活性发生变化,使蜘蛛的新陈代谢加速,从而刺激捕食;中肠蛋白消化酶的活性增强,提高了对猎物的消化吸收功能。总之,在低剂量杀虫剂作用下,星豹蛛通过外在的捕食行为和体内一系列酶系生理生化反应的综合作用促进蜘蛛对害虫的控制作用。     

Microstructural analysis on the testicular cyst of the wolf spider by 3D volume rendering

Spermatogenesis has long been a major research area in understanding the development of living organisms. In vertebrates, sperm is produced along the wall of the seminiferous tubules, leaving spermatogonia in the outermost layer, which undergo cell division and differentiation. However, sperm in many invertebrates is developed in a testicular cyst, which contains germ cells at the same developmental stages. On the contrary, in spiders, it is very difficult to count the exact number of cells in a cyst, since each spermatid gets transformed to a round sperm ball within the cyst through the flagellar coiling process. Therefore, in this study, we applied a 3D rendering technique to analyze the exact number of germ cells per cyst in spiders. For image processing and reconstruction, serial section images were scanned and reconstructed into 3D images. Upon successful 3‐dimensional reconstruction of testicular cysts, the exact number of germ cells produced from a single cyst appeared to be 64, 2⁶ which indicates that a spider spermatogonium undergoes 6 cell divisions to produce spermatozoa.     

Species-specific primers for predation studies of the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus (Coleoptera, Nitidulidae)

Species‐specific primers were developed for the pollen beetle (a pest in oilseed rape) for studies of predation by natural insect predators. Two forward and three reverse primers were designed within the mitochondrial COI gene and used in combination to amplify fragments in the size range of 163–290 bp. Remains of pollen beetle DNA were consistently detected in Pardosa spiders up to 24 h after ingestion but dropped drastically at 48 h. These primers will facilitate studies on biological control of this oilseed rape pest. Detection time was not correlated with fragment length as might be expected as the DNA gradually degrades into progressively shorter fragments over time.     

Kinship Influences Cannibalism in the Wolf Spider, Pardosa milvina

Recent studies have called into question the role of Wright's coefficient of relatedness (r) in the interactions among relatives. Kin selection theory predicts a positive relationship between relatedness and frequency of altruistic acts, but a number of researchers have reported the opposite relationship. I used a lycosid spider (Pardosa milvina) to test the hypothesis that genetic relatedness would affect the propensity of a cannibalistic species to prey on genetic relatives. I considered lack of predation to be a form of altruism where the predator incurs a cost (loss of a meal) that benefits potential prey. Specifically, I questioned whether direct genetic offspring would be avoided as prey items and whether the sex or reproductive condition of a cannibalistic predator would affect the likelihood of predation on conspecific juveniles. As predicted by kin selection theory, spiderling mothers ate significantly fewer of their own offspring than they did of nonkin spiderlings of the same age. Adult virgin female and adult male spiders ate significantly more spiders than females that had recently carried spiderlings. Females with egg sacs consumed significantly fewer spiderlings than did virgin female spiders. These findings support Hamilton's rule and suggest that, in some systems, genetic relatedness plays a strong role in governing altruistic behavior toward relatives.     

中国豹蛛属一新种(蜘蛛目:狼蛛科)

记述采自我国海南岛的豹蛛属Pardosa 1新种,针豹蛛P.aciculifera sp.nov.,新种以其独特的外雌器和触肢器而易与本属其它已知种区别。由于其外雌器和触肢器十分独特,目前暂不能将新种归入本属已划定的种组,模式标本存于中国科学院动物研究所动物标本馆。     

稻田两种狼蛛种间相互作用及对白背飞虱复合捕食作用的研究

室内研究结果表明,拟水狼蛛对白背飞虱的捕食作用小于拟环纹豹蛛,两种狼蛛种内种间均存在干扰作用,且主要表现为残杀作用,狼蛛密度越高,干扰作用越大;拟环纹豹蛛对拟水狼蛛的残杀作用大于对其身的残杀作用,拟水狼蛛只存在自相残杀作用,对拟环纹豹蛛无残杀作用。