横纹金蛛捕食经验对其丝纤维力学行为与性能的影响

蛛网是蜘蛛的捕食工具,蛛网网丝的结构与性能不仅影响蜘蛛的捕食效率,也关系着蜘蛛的捕食投入。本文利用单纤维电子强力仪研究横纹金蛛(Argiope bruennichi)室内捕食面包虫(Tenebrio molitor)时上前与返回捕食拖丝的力学性能以及捕食经验对圆网半径丝修补前后的力学性能的影响。结果表明,与上前捕食拖丝相比,返回捕食拖丝减小了弹性区的投入,增加了屈服区和加强区的投入,且返回时捕食拖丝更具柔韧性。整体而言,与初始半径丝相比,在未喂食面包虫的条件下,网的半径修补丝增加了力学性能的投入;而在喂食面包虫的条件下,网的半径修补丝减少了力学性能的投入。所测试丝样中出现了两种类型的蛛丝力学行为:一种为典型的蛛丝力学行为;另外一种为似黏流性材料的力学行为,其反映的是满足蛛丝耗散猎物或自身下降时动能的另外一种力学性能的策略。本研究表明蜘蛛能根据其捕食经验遵循Cost-Benefit原则对蜘蛛丝的力学性能进行调节,从而调整捕食投入。     

不同体重悦目金蛛的蛛网结构

蛛网是蜘蛛的捕食工具,其结构反映了蜘蛛的捕食投入和捕食策略。对不同大小悦目金蛛(Argiope amoena)的蛛网捕丝长度、捕丝间距、捕食面面积、支持带总面积、半径丝根数和网捕丝分布不对称性等进行观测。结果表明①在体重小于200mg的个体中,捕丝长度、捕丝间距和捕食面面积与个体大小呈显著正相关,而大于200mg的个体中,这种关系并不显著;②蜘蛛在发育到一定程度的时候(在本研究中为22.7mg)才可能出现支持带,并且支持带总面积与体重之间呈显著正相关;③半径丝根数会随体重的增加而减少;④在小于200mg的蜘蛛中,网上、下部捕丝长度比与体重呈显著负相关,而在大于200mg的个体中,二者之间的关系并不显著。这与我们预测的结果是基本一致的,即蛛网的这种结构变化是蜘蛛不同发育阶段捕食投入和捕食策略的反应。     

漫话蜘蛛

从蜘蛛的生物学特性、蛛网与蛛丝、蜘蛛捕食、蜘蛛的婚配与生殖和蜘蛛毒液的应用几方面概述了蜘蛛生物学的研究进展。     

蜘蛛的网和它的捕食策略

蜘蛛的网和捕食策略的进化是令人感兴趣的一个课题,本文对蛛网的类型和进化,以及蜘蛛的捕食策略及其演变化一简要介绍。     

机敏异漏斗蛛不同感觉对捕食和趋向行为的影响

【目的】蜘蛛的感觉在发现猎物和捕食过程中起重要作用,研究机敏异漏斗蛛Allagelena difficilis(Fox)的不同感觉对其捕食和趋向行为的影响,有助于揭示影响漏斗蛛捕猎的主要感觉因素及其机制。【方法】视觉屏蔽法、"Y"型嗅觉仪法、去除蛛网法等方法。【结果】视觉和嗅觉对机敏异漏斗蛛的捕食量和趋向行为无显著影响,但蛛网的存在对其捕食量影响明显:视觉屏蔽与未屏蔽的机敏异漏斗蛛24 h捕食黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster Meigen量分别为25.20头/管和26.00头/管,两者之间差异不显著;嗅觉测试发现,在不同的气流条件下,机敏异漏斗蛛停留、选择有猎物管臂和对照管臂的数量之间差异均不显著;另外,该蛛在无蛛网情况下也可捕食,但捕食量极低,与已结网蛛之间的捕食量差异极显著(P<0.01),随着蛛网的修复,两者之间捕食量差距逐渐减小,至24 h时,两者捕食量相近。【结论】机敏异漏斗蛛主要通过机械感觉线索感受蛛网振动、听觉以及猎物的直接碰触发现和捕获猎物,视觉和嗅觉对其捕食行为影响不明显。     

不同环境因素对拟环纹豹蛛捕食猎物效率的影响

利用农田天敌与害虫的捕食关系进行生态防治的控虫方式有利于环境保护和食品安全。蜘蛛是农业生态系统中一类主要的捕食性天敌,而环境因素直接影响蜘蛛的捕食效率。通过采用单因素分析法和三因素三水平正交设计法,从光照强度、光照颜色、环境温度3个宏观角度对影响拟环纹豹蛛捕食效率的环境因素进行了分析。研究结果显示,拟环纹豹蛛捕食在环境因素组合为光照强度15 lx、环境颜色绿色、环境温度27℃时,捕食效率最高。     

对蜘蛛捕虫网拦截花粉作用的研究

本研究中以皿蛛作为研究对象,主要研究蜘蛛结网行为逆转的主要原因。我们采用模拟蛛网的方式,将模拟蛛网分别竖直、水平的置于野外,从而模拟自然生态下蜘蛛的两种结网方式。经统计分析,水平模拟蛛网上的花粉量远远高于竖直蛛网。结合生态分析,我们得利用蛛网拦截取食空气中的花粉,是蜘蛛从结垂直空中网到水平网这一逆转现象的主要原因。     

绝不松口——蜘蛛饮食大餐

<正>生生不息的自然界,时刻演绎着生存竞技,形态各异的蜘蛛捕食让人触目惊心。蜘蛛按照捕食的方式可分为结网蜘蛛、洞穴蜘蛛和游猎蜘蛛,前两种蜘蛛以守株待兔的方式捕食,游     

2种织圆网蜘蛛个体大小与蛛网粘丝区面积间关系

在不惊扰蜘蛛的情况下对悦目金蛛Argiope amoena和圆尾肖蛸Tetragnatha vermiformis的个体大小与蛛网粘丝区面积问的相关性进行了野外观察。主要测量了蜘蛛体长、蛛网粘丝区直径、蛛网框丝固着点间最大距离、网中枢到地面或水面距离、网平面与水平线的夹角等参数;另外还对蛛网框丝固着点间最大距离作为圆网蛛网址选择行为量化指标的可行性进行了探讨。结果表明,2种蜘蛛体长与蛛网粘丝区面积以及蜘蛛体长与蛛网框丝固着点间最大距离均呈现明显的正相关。悦目金蛛体长与蛛网粘丝区面积的相关性高于圜尾肖蛸,这可能与悦目金蛛在其生境中易于找到框丝固着点、而圆尾肖蛸在其生境中较难找到框丝同着点有关;     

蜘蛛用丝搭建“碉堡”

科学家们早就知道,蜘蛛织出的错综复杂的蛛网既可以捕获猎物,又能够吸引心仪的伴侣。然而有一些蛛网似乎还能保护蜘蛛免遭灭顶之灾。狼蛛能够在它们生活的洞穴上方搭建精致的“碉堡”———它们富有黏性的蛛丝能够将一些小枝叶与鹅卵石黏在一起。在西班牙的沙漠中,当研究人员移     

Factors affecting the difference in foraging success in three co-existing Cyclosa Spiders

Species-specific differences in prey-capture success of co-existing web-building spiders are derived from complex factors: various web parameters, web placement, and the spider's response to prey. By examining these, this study revealed prey-capture modes of three species of web-building spiders of the genus Cyclosa living in the same habitat. Cyclosa octotuberculata and C. argenteoalba showed a greater prey capture rate than C. sedeculata , though size compositions of prey were similar in all species. Cyclosa octotuberculata spins thick silk with large adhesive droplets, which may contribute to the higher stopping and retention abilities of the web. Cyclosa argenteoalba constructs webs at open sites where prey is abundant, and has webs of dense mesh size, which may result in the high stopping ability of webs. In C. sedeculata , the web is less effective for stopping and retaining prey, probably owing to the thin silk with a small amount of sticky material, and the response to prey is not rapid. It seems that the former two species achieve a similar level of foraging success by using different sets of foraging traits and the third species has the disadvantage in most aspects of foraging.     

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.     

Spiders Use Airborne Cues to Respond to Flying Insect Predators by Building Orb-Web with Fewer Silk Thread and Larger Silk Decorations

Orb-web spiders are an important group of trap-building animals that feed upon an array of insect prey and are themselves the prey of wasps and parasitoid flies. The purpose of this study was to examine whether spiders use airborne vibration cues to respond to these flying insect predators by changing their web-building behavior. While on its web waiting for prey, the orb-web spider Eriophora sagana was exposed to a vibrating tuning fork that emitted an airborne vibration signal. The signal mimicked the approach of flying insect predators and its effect on the subsequent web building was examined. No stimulus was provided during web building. A significant treatment effect was observed with respect to the total thread length (TTL) and area of the silk decoration (conspicuous white structure attached to the orb-webs of diurnal spiders) of their webs. While control spiders increased the TTL in their second web, the stimulus group spiders did not, providing the first evidence that orb-web spiders use airborne vibration cues to assess the predation risk and change their foraging activity. It also indicates that spiders remember an encounter with a predator on their webs and use this information later to adjust their web building. My findings imply that spiders devote less effort to foraging (i.e. web building) in response to the presence of their predators, which is considered to reduce their foraging efficiency. In contrast, the stimulus group spiders increased the area of their silk decoration significantly more in their second webs than did the control spiders. This is considered an experimental support for the hypothesis that silk decorations have an anti-predator function.     

Aging and foraging efficiency in an orb-web spider

Aging is often associated with reduced behavioral performance such as decreased locomotion or food consumption, related to a deterioration in physiological functions. In orb-web spiders, webs are used to capture prey and aging can affect web-building behavior and web structure. Here, we investigated the effect of aging on prey capture in the orb-web spider Zygiella x-notata. The ability of adult females to capture flies was examined at different ages. The rate of prey capture did not change with age, but older spiders took more time to subdue and capture the prey. Alterations which appeared in web structure with age (increase in the number of anomalies affecting radii and capture spiral) affected prey capture behavior. Furthermore, the analysis of individual performance (carried out on 17 spiders at two different ages) showed that older females spent more time handling the prey and finding it in the web. Our results suggest that, in the laboratory, age does not affect prey capture rates but it influences prey capture behavior by affecting web structure or/and spider motor functions.     

Web-building behaviour in the orb-weaving spider Zygiella x-notata: influence of experience

Zygiella x-notata is an orb-weaving spider that often renews its trap daily. Web building has associated costs and benefits, and building successive webs may have consequences for lifetime reproductive success. In the laboratory, we tested the ability of Z. x-notata to modify its building behaviour in response to various stages in predation (prey detection, capture and ingestion) experienced with a previous web. We determined which stages provided information for the spiders. Spiders that detected, captured and ingested prey and then rebuilt their web used less silk and made a smaller capture area than in the previous web. There was no effect of prey detection alone on the next web. Capture without feeding gave the same results as capture followed by feeding. The spiders that ate prey without detection and capture (feeding by hand) had the same energetic gains as spiders that caught prey but delayed building a new web. The spiders thus showed plasticity in web-building behaviour and in the amount of silk used (energetic investment) in the short term (from one web to the next). Changes in body condition may therefore influence web construction. Moreover, information gained during prey capture appeared to influence the size and structure of the next web. This ability should enable spiders to adapt their web building to maximize their fitness. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

Kleptoparasites influence foraging behaviour of the spider <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stegodyphus lineatus</Emphasis> (Araneae,Eresidae)

Prey captured by a predator may attract kleptoparasites which could significantly reduce the amount of food consumed. Stegodyphus lineatus, a cribellate spider, builds an energetically costly web. Ants raid the webs of S. lineatus to steal prey and behave as kleptoparasites. We investigated ant raids in a natural population of S. lineatus and their influence on the spider’s foraging behaviour. Considering spiders that had captured a prey, 31.2% suffered an ant raid within 24 h after the prey capture. Experimental tests showed that the response to ant raid is to delay web rebuilding and this was independent of a spider’s previous foraging success. There was a tendency for spiders that were exposed to ants to build larger webs. Neither prey-handling duration nor prey consumption was modified after exposure to ants. These results suggest that Stegodyphus lineatus adapt its web-building behaviour in response to the risk of kleptoparasitism.     

The Effect of Wind Exposure on the Web Characteristics of a Tetragnathid Orb Spider

Studies on spiders in their natural habitats are necessary for determining the full range of plasticity in their web-building behaviour. Plasticity in web design is hypothesised to be important for spiders building in habitats where environmental conditions cause considerable web damage. Here we compared web characteristics of the orb spider Metellina mengei (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in two different forest habitats differing in their wind exposure. We found a notable lack of differences in web geometry, orientation and inclination between webs built along an exposed forest edge and those built inside the forest, despite marked differences in wind speed. This suggests that M. mengei did not exhibit web-building plasticity in response to wind in the field, contrasting with the findings of laboratory studies on other species of orb spiders. Instead, differences in prey capture and wind damage trade-offs between habitats may provide an explanation for our results, indicating that different species employ different strategies to cope with environmental constraints.     

Age-related sequential web building in the colonial spider Metepeira incrassata (Araneidae): an adaptive spacing strategy

Colonial orb-weaving spiders provide insight into the proximate mechanisms by which social animals space themselves within a group. We examined mechanisms for the temporal patterns of web building that determine individual positions in Metepeira incrassata (Araneidae) colonies. The spiders display a characteristic age-related sequence of daily web building, with larger spiders completing their webs significantly earlier than smaller ones. We used data on behavioural interactions, web building, prey capture and predator attacks to evaluate four hypotheses. (1) Larger spiders are better competitors and pre-empt optimal spatial positions. (2) Smaller spiders reduce competition with larger individuals by building webs later. (3) Prey captured by different size classes is available at different times. (4) Differential predation risk determines web-building times. Large individuals dominated behavioural interactions. Disturbances by larger spiders during web construction significantly delayed the completion of smaller individuals' webs and precipitated movements to new web sites. One prediction of the first hypothesis, that spatial needs translate into earlier building, was confirmed by significantly earlier web building by mature females with egg sacs (which are unable to move their egg sacs) compared with same-sized females without eggs (which can change locations freely). Experiments to determine whether the presence of large spiders inhibited the web building of smaller individuals were equivocal. Prey availability and risk of predation are not factors affecting web-building patterns. Sequential web building appears to be a result of both larger spiders competing to pre-empt space from one another and smaller individuals attempting to reduce conflict during web construction. Sequential web building is a proximate mechanism that influences spacing among colonial orb-weaving spiders and helps shape the typical hierarchical size distribution of spiders within the colony. Similar spacing mechanisms may be seen in colonial birds and marine invertebrates. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

The hunting-web of the young spider Pisaura mirabilis

In the Pisauridae both web-building and non web-building spiders are present, the former building webs comparable to the funnel-webs of the Agelenidae.
Pisaura mirabilis has always been described as a non web-building spider catching the prey by sight.
However the sexually immature Pisaura mirabilis has been found to build a web in which the animal sits.
The structure of this web is not directly comparable to any other type of web, but some kind of relationship to the funnel-web of the Agelenidae may exist.
Even if the young Pisaura mirabilis is capable of catching prey without using the web, detection of the prey seems to be a main function of this structure.     

Chemical Mediation of Prey Recognition by Spider-Hunting Wasps

Predator–prey interactions are important in maintaining the structure and dynamics of ecological communities. Both predators and prey use cues from a range of sensory modalities to detect and assess one another; identification of these cues is necessary to understand how selection operates to shape predator–prey interactions. Mud-dauber wasps (Sphecidae) provision their larval nests with paralyzed spiders, and different genera of wasps specialize on particular spider taxa. Sceliphron caementarium (Drury 1773) wasps preferentially capture spiders that build two-dimensional (2D) webs, rather than those that construct three-dimensional (3D) webs, but the basis of this preference is not clear. Wasps may choose spiders based on an assessment of their web architecture, as 3D webs may provide better defenses against wasp predation than do 2D webs. However, because many hymenopterans use chemical cues to locate and recognize prey, it is also possible that mud-dauber wasps rely on chemical cues associated with the spider and/or the web to assess prey suitability. When we offered foraging S. caementarium wasps 2D and 3D spiders both on and off their webs, we found that in both cases the wasps took 2D spiders and avoided 3D spiders, demonstrating that the web itself is not the impediment. Results of a series of behavioral choice assays involving filter paper discs containing spider cues and chemically manipulated spiders or spider dummies corroborated the importance of spider chemical cues in mediation of prey recognition by mud-dauber wasps. We also discuss the relative importance of visual and chemical cues for prey recognition by wasps, examine the anti-predator behaviors of 2D and 3D spiders, and consider the role of wasp predation in spider diversification.