Female sexual maturity as a determining factor of size-assortative pairing in the protandrous spider Manogea porracea (Araneae, Araneidae)

Moura, Rafael Rios; Vasconcellos‐Neto, João; Gonzaga, Marcelo O.

doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2019.11.003

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…In M. porracea , early male maturation (protandry) and the behavioral strategy of guarding subadult females before and after mating may reduce sperm competition, minimize cuckoldry, and increase male reproductive success (Moura et al., 2020). There is no information on the natural frequency of male replacement in female's webs, but it is possible that the mating system of M. porracea has a higher proportion of monogamous partners than previously thought.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All males were found in webs with egg sacs. We conducted data collection in this period because the sex ratio is slight biased toward females; thus, males may be more likely to abandon the egg sacs and search for new mating opportunities (Moura & Gonzaga, 2017; Moura et al., 2020). To test whether a foster male will protect an unrelated brood from natural enemies, we collected females of the two araneophagic species from family Theridiidae, Faidutus caudatus ( n = 10) and Agyrodes elevatus ( n = 8), which are usually found on M. porracea webs (Moura et al., 2017).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Manogea porracea (C. L. Koch, 1838) (Araneidae) males repair damage to nursery webs and actively protect egg sacs and spiderlings against araneophagic spiders (Moura et al., 2017). Males mature earlier than females in the breeding season and guard subadult partners (Moura et al., 2020). During this period, they build a small dome‐shaped web above female's web and fight with other males to secure a prime position.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During this period, they build a small dome‐shaped web above female's web and fight with other males to secure a prime position. After female maturation and copulation, males can continue guarding their partner or move to another web to seek new mating opportunities (Moura & Gonzaga, 2017; Moura et al., 2020). So, some males can copulate and guard a mated female, even when she has already produced egg sacs and probably holds sperm from another male in her spermathecae.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The costs of protecting an unrelated progeny are high, as males may be killed by potential egg predators and lose additional mating opportunities, especially when several females are still available (i.e., in the middle of the breeding season; Moura & Gonzaga, 2017; Moura et al., 2020). In this situation, there are two possible hypotheses: (a) if paternity can be detected, males may practice filial cannibalism or reduce their parental protection of unrelated offspring, increasing the exposure of some egg sacs or juveniles to predators, or (b) if paternity cannot be detected, males may take care of all offspring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise”: Indiscriminate male care in a neotropical spider

et al. 2020

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Certainty of paternity is considered an important condition for the evolution and maintenance of extended male care. In some species, males may cannibalize unrelated offspring or abandon the progeny when the uncertainty of paternity is high, or when they take over nest sites or females from other males. However, male protection of offspring can also evolve in situations of uncertainty of paternity, especially when males cannot recognize offspring relatedness. In such cases, males may take care of all their mate's offspring, regardless of paternity. In Manogea porracea (Araneidae), the only known spider species where males care for offspring, males repel competitors by assuming and defending specific positions within a female's web, but females accept multiple partners during the reproductive season. Consequently, males may care for some offspring produced with the sperm of their mate's previous partners. If males cannot detect offspring relatedness, we expect that they will not cannibalize progeny and will actively protect all offspring against predation. The main goal of this study was to investigate whether the extended male care depends on offspring relatedness recognition. Therefore, we experimentally manipulated offspring relatedness and the presence of foster males and two egg predators usually found invading M. porracea webs. We also compared our results with data from an experiment performed by Moura, Vasconcellos‐Neto, & Gonzaga (2017) using the same laboratory procedures, but introducing egg sacs fathered exclusively by the males. Males did not cannibalize offspring and protected the progeny against predation regardless of offspring relatedness. In addition, all males moved the egg sacs to the center of the web, remaining close to the progeny. We conclude that M. porracea males protect all progeny present in their partner's web and increase offspring survivorship regardless of relatedness. We discuss the behavioral and evolutionary implications of our findings, and potential triggers of male care in M. porracea.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%