Spiders that decorate their webs at higher frequency intercept more prey and grow faster.
Many orb-weaving spiders decorate their webs with extra, bright white, ultraviolet light reflecting silk. Previous studies suggest that these decorations increase a spider's foraging efficiency by improving web attractiveness, which is known as the prey-attraction hypothesis. One assumption of this hypothesis is that individuals which decorate their webs at a higher frequency are expected to have a higher growth rate. Using a decoration-building orb-weaving spider, Argiope versicolor, I show a strong positive relationship between the growth rate in terms of weight gain and the frequency of decoration-building, as well as the rate of insect interception. This is the first study to reveal a fitness consequence of decorating behaviour in spiders.
Li
Daiqin
D
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore. dbslidq@nus.edu.sg
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D047011:Silk; D012846:Singapore; D013112:Spiders / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*
D047011:Silk