<i>Chrosiothes Tonala</i> (Araneae, Theridiidae): A Web‐Building Spider Specializing on Termites

Eberhard, William G.

doi:10.1155/1991/28909

Cited by 32 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…comm. ), others make simple nonsticky line webs after the prey has been encountered (Eberhard, 1991) or make sheet webs with knock‐down threads (Eberhard, 1991). Enoplognatha builds a sticky cobweb, probably without gumfoot lines (e.g.…”

Section: Socialitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological phylogeny of cobweb spiders and their relatives (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae)

Agnarsson¹

2004

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

260

397

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This paper offers the first cladistic analysis of a wide selection of theridiid genera based on morphological data. The analysis treats 53 theridiid taxa representing 32 genera ( ) and Araneidae ( Argiope ). The parsimony analysis of 242 morphological and behavioural characters found a single, most parsimonious tree. The monophyly of theridiids and their sister relationship with nesticids is strongly supported. The recent resurrection of Ariamnes and Rhomphaea from Argyrodes made the latter paraphyletic. However, Ariamnes and Rhomphaea are characterized by an array of characters, and Argyrodes still contains dramatically distinct clades for which names are available: Faiditus (removed from synonymy -RS) and Neospintharus (RS). These revalidations provide a classification with greater information content and utility. These three genera, along with Ariamnes , Rhomphaea and Spheropistha , comprise the subfamily Argyrodinae. The monophyly and composition of the subfamilies Hadrotarsinae, Spintharinae, Pholcommatinae, Latrodectinae and Theridiinae are discussed. Theridion is paraphyletic and in need of revision. Anelosimus as currently circumscribed is paraphyletic, a problem resolved by revalidating Selkirkiella (RS) and Kochiura (RS). Numerous new combinations are established. The results suggest the monophyletic origin of both kleptoparasitism and araneophagy in the lineage leading to Argyrodinae, negating hypotheses that either arose from the other. Sociality evolved multiple times within the family, accounting for as much as one fourth of the origins of social behaviour among all spiders. No losses of sociality are implied. The hypothesis of maternal care as the pathway to sociality receives support. Evolution of theridiid webs is complex, with multiple modifications and loss of the basic theridiid cobweb.

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Section: Socialitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological phylogeny of cobweb spiders and their relatives (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae)

Agnarsson¹

2004

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

260

397

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“…Theridiids are generalists feeding on whatever prey are caught in their webs; however, some are specialists, such as Chrosiothes tonala (Levi 1954), a predator of termites (Eberhard 1991). Most genera of the subfamily Spintharinae present a modified web.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most genera of the subfamily Spintharinae present a modified web. The genera Spintharus, Episinus and Thwaitesia build a web with an "H"-like shape, while Chrosiothes builds a sheet-like web, presumably because of a specialization for their prey (Eberhard 1991;Agnarsson 2004;Eberhard et al 2008). Although all genera present sexual dimorphism in size, behavior differs considerably among genera.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic relationships of the comb-footed spider subfamily Spintharinae (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae), with generic diagnoses and a key to the genera

Durán-Barrón

Contreras‐Ramos²

2013

Zootaxa

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The monophyly of Spintharinae is supported in agreement with previous analysis of Theridiidae by Agnarsson and Arnedo et al. We study the relationships of the genera within Spintharinae. Fourteen species in the genera Chrosiothes, Episinus, Spintharus, Stemmops, and Thwaitesia constituted the ingroup, while five species from the genera Euryopis and Dipoena (Hadrotarsinae), as well as Latrodectus and Steatoda (Latrodectinae), served as outgroup taxa. The character matrix included 49 morphological characters. Parsimony analyses using several character weighting strategies supported the monophyly of Spintharinae with Stemmops as sister to a clade that includes the remaining ingroup taxa. Chrosiothes emerged as sister to Episinus + Spintharus + Thwaitesia which formed a polytomy. The equally weighted, successive weighted, and preferred implied weight topologies, were all logically consistent. A key to the genera of Spintharinae and diagnoses for each genus are given.

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“…Other invertebrate predators have received less attention, which is surprising given the potentially large number of termitophagous invertebrate taxa reflecting the immense diversity of invertebrates occurring in the same tropical habitats as termites ( Coaton & Sheasby, 1972 ). Relatively few publications report cases, where invertebrates other than ants act as predators of termites, and these have largely been anecdotal field studies ( Sheppe, 1970;McMahan, 1982;Nentwig, 1986;Dean, 1988;Eberhard, 1991;Dippenaar-Schoeman et al , 1996;Jones & Cumming, 1998;Wesolowska & Cumming, 1999.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic interactions among invertebrates in termitaria in the African savanna: a stable isotope approach

Visser¹,

Freymann

Schnyder

2008

Ecological Entomology

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1. Termites (Isoptera) in tropical savannas are known as ecosystem engineers, affecting the spatial and temporal distribution of water, carbon, cations, and nutrients through their mound structures. Their mounds, however, also offer habitation to diverse taxa and feeding guilds of other invertebrates; a keystone role that has not been properly quantified.2. The aim of this study was to explore the ecosystem role of termitaria in determining invertebrate diversity and their potential trophic interactions. We used stable isotopes to distinguish termite-feeding invertebrates from invertebrates merely living in termite mounds under field conditions.3. The results suggest that inquiline spiders (Arachnida) do not feed on termites directly, but on other invertebrates within the termitaria that are termitophagous, elevating the spiders three trophic levels higher than the termites.4. This study is the first to demonstrate food web interactions among inquiline invertebrates with a stable isotope approach. It provides evidence that termites play a keystone role in the system by providing habitat for various, trophically interacting invertebrates. These results illustrate a rather unexplored ecosystem property of savanna termites.

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Chrosiothes Tonala (Araneae, Theridiidae): A Web‐Building Spider Specializing on Termites

Cited by 32 publications

References 5 publications

Morphological phylogeny of cobweb spiders and their relatives (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae)

Morphological phylogeny of cobweb spiders and their relatives (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae)

Phylogenetic relationships of the comb-footed spider subfamily Spintharinae (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae), with generic diagnoses and a key to the genera

Trophic interactions among invertebrates in termitaria in the African savanna: a stable isotope approach

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