Associations of Spiders of the Genus Peucetia (Oxyopidae) with Plants Bearing Glandular Hairs

Two common South American species of lynx spiders, Peucetia rubrolineata and P. flava (Oxyopidae), were surveyed on three localities in southeastern Brazil to determine plant choice. Both species were found to be associated with plants bearing glandular trichomes. A literature review and complementary data show that ten Peucetia species are associated with up to 55 plant species bearing glandular trichomes in at least 20 distinct vegetation types (phytophysiognomies) in more than 36 localities in the Neotropical, Neartic, Afrotropical, and Paleartic regions. The main plant families used by the spiders were Solanaceae, Asteraceae, and Melastomataceae. The specialization of the Peucetia species for plants bearing glandular trichomes may have evolved because insects adhered to these sticky structures may be used as prey by the spiders.     

Different positions of males approaching towards females and male choices between webs with and without stabilimentum in a sexually cannibalistic orb‐web spider,Argiope bruennichi

Males of the orb‐weaving spider species Argiope bruennichi (Araneidae) are frequently victims of sexual cannibalism. Therefore, a male spider approaching a female should have strategies to avoid being killed before copulation. Our present field study detected six types of A. bruennichi male positions vis‐à‐vis the female web. In 78% of situations (39/50), only one male attached to a female. Two males attached to the same female in 11 cases. We observed no cases of three or more males on the same female web. We most commonly observed the situation of a male staying in its own web and connecting to a female's web with its silk thread (46% of cases). Of the female webs chosen by males, 68% were decorated with both an upper and lower portion of stabilimentum – a conspicuous white silk structure that reflects much more ultraviolet light than other spider silks in the web. Only 14% (7/50) of the selected webs lacked stabilimentum. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to investigate the males' choice between females' webs with and without stabilimentum. Of the 24 males used in the experiment, 10 chose webs with stabilimentum. This result did not show a strong preference of the male for stabilimentum between equally sized webs, and thus did not support an earlier suggestion that stabilimentum in A. bruennichi might function to guide males to females for mating.     

有机荔枝园、常规荔枝园和天然荔枝园蜘蛛类群的比较

2004～2005年,对珠海市斗门区有机、常规和天然荔枝园的蜘蛛群落进行了系统的调查和分析,结果表明,不同类型荔枝园蜘蛛群落丰富度S值天然＞有机＞常规荔枝园;多样性指数H'值有机＞天然＞常规荔枝园;均匀度E值有机＞天然＞常规荔枝园.说明进行有机管理的荔枝园对蜘蛛群落的多样性影响较小,有利于保护和发挥天敌的自然控制力.有机、常规荔枝园的优势类群均为园蛛科、皿蛛科和球蛛科,而天然荔枝园除这三者外,跳蛛科也明显增加.除天气因素外,更重要的还与人为农事活动干扰程度直接相关.有机荔枝园不使用化学农药,蜘蛛种类多,个体数也较多.而常规荔枝园由于频繁地使用了化学合成物质,蜘蛛种类和数量较少.说明施用大量的化学农药,对蜘蛛的影响较大.     

Female sexual receptivity after partial copulations in the wolf spider (Schizocosa malitiosa)

Mated females of the wolf spider Schizocosa malitiosa are frequently refractory to further copulations. Copulation consists of two successive behavioural patterns: pattern I (PI) and pattern II (PII). During PI males make multiple consecutive insertions with each palp, and in PII males alternate the use of palps after each insertion until dismounting. As both patterns are inseminatory, another function – such as generating female reluctance – is suggested for this complex behaviour. Here we test experimentally whether female spiders mated only with PI, or only with PII, are reluctant to re-mate. Each copulating male was interrupted immediately after the end of PI (phase A), and the same male was instantly exposed to a second virgin female. After re-mounting, the male initially performed a brief recapitulation of PI followed by PII (both together considered as phase B). For testing female sexual reluctance, females were exposed to a second male 3 days after the partial mating, but whenever the mounting occurred it was interrupted. Females were raised and progeny was counted. Phase-A-mated females were more reluctant to re-mating than phase-B-mated females, but their respective progeny was similar. We suggest that female reluctance is caused by sperm-associated substances transferred during PI.     

Subaqueous hydrochory: open‐channel hydraulic modelling of non‐buoyant seed movement

1. Subaqueous transport may be a significant dispersal and migration mechanism of non‐buoyant seeds of aquatic and riparian plants, and also secondary transport of seeds once they have lost buoyancy, but the efficiency of this difficult to observe process is largely unexamined. This study uses hydraulic modelling to establish the discharges that move the non‐buoyant seeds of Hymenocallis coronaria as bedload or suspended load; uses stream gauge data to examine the frequency of effective discharges from late June to late September, the seed maturation and germination period; and the potential transport distance of the seeds. 2. The results show that the majority of non‐buoyant seeds of H. coronaria can be transported as bedload through entire modelled stream reaches of lengths 10.8, 18 and 14.4 km with the 0.5 year return interval flow. Bedload apparently has the ability to move seeds over great distances, and may be a substantial factor determining the genetic structure, demography and dynamics of populations and communities. However, prolonged movement of non‐buoyant seeds in suspension appears to be quite rare. 3. Although insect mediated pollination and biochory occur concurrently with bedload transport, bedload transport alone may be sufficient to account for the established gene flow rate of H. coronaria. The potential transport distance of many of the seeds exceed that between populations, and migration may occur more frequently than the species’ generation time. 4. This is the first known study to use open‐channel hydraulic modelling and sediment transport analysis to determine the effectiveness of non‐buoyant seed transport. This method of analysis shows promise for application in other contexts, and especially where flow management is a critical issue for maintenance of rare species.