title: Can differential nutrient extraction explain property variations in a predatory trap?
abstract: Predators exhibit flexible foraging to facilitate taking prey that offer important nutrients. Because trap-building predators have limited control over the prey they encounter, differential nutrient extraction and trap architectural flexibility may be used as a means of prey selection. Here, we tested whether differential nutrient extraction induces flexibility in architecture and stickiness of a spider's web by feeding Nephila pilipes live crickets (CC), live flies (FF), dead crickets with the web stimulated by flies (CD) or dead flies with the web stimulated by crickets (FD). Spiders in the CD group consumed less protein per mass of lipid or carbohydrate, and spiders in the FF group consumed less carbohydrates per mass of protein. Spiders from the CD group built stickier webs that used less silk, whereas spiders in the FF group built webs with more radii, greater catching areas and more silk, compared with other treatments. Our results suggest that differential nutrient extraction is a likely explanation for prey-induced spider web architecture and stickiness variations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science , Tunghai University, Taichung 40704 , Taiwan, Republic of China ; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences , The University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Sean J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Blamires
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science , Tunghai University, Taichung 40704 , Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dakota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piorkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science , Tunghai University, Taichung 40704 , Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science , National Chung-Hsing University , Taichung 40227, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Department of BioScience , Aarhus University, Building 1540 , Ny Munkegade 116, Aarhus 8000 C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science , Tunghai University, Taichung 40704 , Taiwan, Republic of China ; Department of Life Science , National Chung-Hsing University , Taichung 40227, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: I-Min
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Tso
keywords: animal architecture; extended phenotype; mechanical properties; nutrient-specific foraging; orb webs; trap-building predator