Foraging advantages of mixed-species association between solitary and colonial orb-weaving spiders |
| |
Authors: | Margaret A. Hodge George W. Uetz |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 45221-0006 Cincinnati, OH, USA;(2) Present address: Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, 44691 Wooster, OH, USA |
| |
Abstract: | This study investigated association between solitary orb-weaving spiders and a colonial orb-weaving spider, Metepeira incrassata (Araneae: Araneidae). Spiders were sampled along transects and an index of species association showed that two of the species were associated more frequently than expected based on a null hipothesis of random co-occurrence. The potential advantages of mixed-species association were investigated by comparing prey-capture success of one of these associates, Nephila clavipes (Araneae: Tetragnathidae), when it occurs alone, in single-species groups, and when associated with M. incrassata colonies. Field observations of prey-capture success by all three of these categories of N. clavipes revealed that individuals in M. incrassata colonies captured significantly more prey than solitaries or individuals in single-species groups. The increase in prey capture by N. clavipes in M. incrassata colonies may result from utilization of a foraging niche which intercepts a diffirent spectrum of prey than that available to single-species groups or solitaries. Related to this enhanced prey consumption is greater fecundity of spiders in association with M. incrassata as compared to solitaries or individuals in single-species groups. |
| |
Keywords: | Mixed-species groups Spiders Foraging |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|