Nutritional requirements for web synthesis in the tetragnathid spider Nephila clavipes |
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Authors: | Linden Higgins MarY. AnN. Rankin |
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Affiliation: | Department of Zoology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | Trap-constructing organisms provide a unique opportunity for the study of resource allocation, because an observer can unambiguously determine the allocation to foraging. In species that synthesize a trap from physiologically important compounds, there is the further advantage that there may be direct trade-offs between allocation of resources to foraging and physiological functions. We examined the ability of the spider Nephila clavipes (L.; Araneae: Tetragnathidae) to synthesize resources that are known to be used for both web synthesis and non-foraging physiological functions. We found that choline, required for both web function and physiological function, is an essential nutrient: it is not synthesized by this spider. Under laboratory conditions with a diet of fruit flies, choline is limiting, and the spiders make allocation trade-offs between investing choline in foraging (the web) or in their body. |
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Keywords: | Choline orb-web synthesis resource allocation |
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