Intraspecific interactions of Argyrodes antipodiana,a kleptoparasitic spider from New Zealand

Abstract

Intraspecific interactions (male‐male, female‐female, male‐female) of Argyrodes antipodiana (O.P.‐Cambridge), a New Zealand kleptoparasitic spider, were studied in the laboratory. Interactions, especially male‐female interactions, tended to be complex and of long duration, and included 32 different displays being used in sequences that could last for over 5 h. In male‐female interactions, there were numerous alternations between displaying and copulating, but most courtship followed the initial copulation. The possible adaptive significance of A. antipodiana's complex courtship is discussed. The role of pheromones in the intraspecific interactions of this species is also investigated.