Multiple prey cues induce foraging flexibility in a trap-building predator

Blamires, Sean J.; Chao, Yi-Chi; Liao, Chen‐Pan; Tso, I‐Min

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.01.022

Cited by 38 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…While our experiments did not directly address whether spiders were able to make decisions about the type of webs they built when they fed on different prey, or whether there are physiological and behavioural constraints on web and silk properties, we made deductions (see below) based on the extensive body of literature that discusses spider web building behaviours, constraints and plasticity. Studies using the orb web spider Nephila pilipes have shown that the nutritional and tactile cues elicited by prey induce spiders to covary their web architectures and silk physicochemical properties (Tso et al, 2007;Blamires, 2010Blamires, , 2011. Furthermore, mapping the web and silk properties for that particular species across macronutrient space showed that web architectural features and silk physicochemical properties vary with lipid and protein intake (Blamires et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-induced covariation between architectural and physicochemical plasticity in an extended phenotype

Blamires

Hasemore

Martens

et al. 2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The adaptive benefits of extended phenotypic plasticity are imprecisely defined due to a paucity of experiments examining traits that are manipulable and measurable across environments. Spider webs are often used as models to explore the adaptive benefits of variations in extended phenotypes across environments. Nonetheless, our understanding of the adaptive nature of the plastic responses of spider webs is impeded when web architectures and silk physicochemical properties appear to co-vary. An opportunity to examine this co-variation is presented by modifying prey items while measuring web architectures and silk physiochemical properties. Here, we performed two experiments to assess the nature of the association between web architectures and gluey silk properties when the orb web spider Argiope keyserlingi was fed a diet that varied in either mass and energy or prey size and feeding frequency. We found web architectures and gluey silk physicochemical properties to co-vary across treatments in both experiments. Specifically, web capture area co-varied with gluey droplet morphometrics, thread stickiness and salt concentrations when prey mass and energy were manipulated, and spiral spacing co-varied with gluey silk salt concentrations when prey size and feeding frequency were manipulated. We explained our results as A. keyserlingi plastically shifting its foraging strategy as multiple prey parameters simultaneously varied. We confirmed and extended previous work by showing that spiders use a variety of prey cues to concurrently adjust web and silk traits across different feeding regimes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-induced covariation between architectural and physicochemical plasticity in an extended phenotype

Blamires

Hasemore

Martens

et al. 2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…In the orb-web spider Cyclosa mulmeinensis, exposure to wind also induces the deposition of considerably stiffer radial threads, which, combined with a reduction in web capture area and spiral thread length, serves to reduce wind drag on the web and minimize tearing (Liao et al, 2009). The likely cost of such changes in web geometry and silk properties is a reduction in the number of prey that can be effectively caught (Blackledge and Zevenbergen, 2006;Blamires et al, 2011;Tarakanova and Buehler, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These experiences are likely to be assessed by their prey-capture experiences (Heiling and Herberstein, 1999;Venner et al, 2000;Mestre and Lubin, 2011), or by the quality and quantity of specific stimuli (Blamires et al, 2011). The stimuli received may include a combination of web-borne tactile stimuli detected by the strainsensitive slit sensilla, or changes in air pressure detected by the pressure-sensitive trichobothriae (Barth, 2002;French et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Orb-web spiders may modulate the performance of their webs by modifying one or a combination of the following parameters: (i) size of the capture area, (ii) mean spacing between sticky spiral threads, or mesh height (although spider webs are not 'meshed', we use this term to represent capture spiral spacing because it is the most commonly used term among comparable studies), or (iii) the number of spirals or radii used (Sandoval, 1994;Vollrath et al, 1997;Tso et al, 2007;Liao et al, 2009;Blamires, 2010). As mesh height influences the size of the prey that can be retained by orb webs (Herberstein and Heiling, 1998;Blackledge and Zevenbergen, 2006), mesh height may change in response to expected changes in the type or size of prey present (Sandoval, 1994;Herberstein and Heiling, 1998;Blamires, 2010;Blamires et al, 2011). Environmentally induced changes in the stickiness of the spirals (Opell et al, 2011a;Sahni et al, 2011) may, however, also be associated with changes in mesh height as a means to maintain the ability to effectively absorb the kinetic energy of intercepted prey (Blackledge and Hayashi, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Orbweb spiders, accordingly, often build webs with varying geometries across environments (Sandoval, 1994;Vollrath et al, 1997;Liao et al, 2009;Blamires et al, 2011). Orb-web spiders may modulate the performance of their webs by modifying one or a combination of the following parameters: (i) size of the capture area, (ii) mean spacing between sticky spiral threads, or mesh height (although spider webs are not 'meshed', we use this term to represent capture spiral spacing because it is the most commonly used term among comparable studies), or (iii) the number of spirals or radii used (Sandoval, 1994;Vollrath et al, 1997;Tso et al, 2007;Liao et al, 2009;Blamires, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wind induces variations in spider web geometry and sticky spiral droplet volume

Blamires

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYTrap building by animals is rare because it comes at a substantial cost. Using materials with properties that vary across environments maintains trap functionality. The sticky spiral silks of spider orb webs are used to catch flying prey. Web geometry, accompanied by compensatory changes in silk properties, may change across environments to sustain web functionality. We exposed the spider Cyclosa mulmeinensis to wind to test whether wind-induced changes in web geometry are accompanied by changes in aggregate silk droplet morphology, axial thread width or spiral stickiness. We compared: (i) web catching area, (ii) length of total silks, (iii) mesh height, (iv) number of radii, (v) aggregate droplet morphology and (vi) spiral thread stickiness, between webs made by spiders exposed to wind and those made by spiders not exposed to wind. We interpreted co-variation in droplet morphology or spiral stickiness with web capture area, mesh height or spiral length as the silk properties functionally compensating for changes in web geometry to reduce wind drag. Wind-exposed C. mulmeinensis built webs with smaller capture areas, shorter capture spiral lengths and more widely spaced capture spirals, resulting in the expenditure of less silk. Individuals that were exposed to wind also deposited larger droplets of sticky silk but the stickiness of the spiral threads remained unchanged. The larger droplets may be a product of a greater investment in water, or low molecular weight compounds facilitating atmospheric water uptake. Either way, droplet dehydration in wind is likely to be minimized.

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Lizard predation by spiders: A review from the Neotropical and Andean regions

Reyes-Olivares

Guajardo-Santibáñez²,

Segura³

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Vertebrate predation by invertebrates has been classically underexplored and thus underestimated, despite the fact that many arthropods consume vertebrates. To shed some light on the relevance that spider predation may have upon lizards in the Neotropical and Andean regions, we compiled the available information in the literature on this trophic interaction. We found 50 reports of spiders consuming lizards in these regions, and the 88% of these were from the Neotropical region. Spiders belong to eight families, but Ctenidae and Theraphosidae were the most frequently reported predators. Lizards belong to 12 families, and the most commonly consumed species corresponded to the families Dactyloidae (all Anolis lizards), Gymnophthalmidae, and Sphaerodactylidae. Data suggest trophic spider–lizard associations between Ctenidae and Dactyloidae, followed by Theraphosidae and Liolaemidae. The body sizes of the spiders and lizards showed a positive relationship, and spiders were smaller than their prey. We conclude that various spider taxa can be considered lizard predators and they may be ecologically important in the Neotropical and Andean regions. However, spiders of prime predation relevance seem to be those of the Ctenidae and Theraphosidae families.

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Multiple prey cues induce foraging flexibility in a trap-building predator

Cited by 38 publications

References 32 publications

Diet-induced covariation between architectural and physicochemical plasticity in an extended phenotype

Diet-induced covariation between architectural and physicochemical plasticity in an extended phenotype

Wind induces variations in spider web geometry and sticky spiral droplet volume

Lizard predation by spiders: A review from the Neotropical and Andean regions

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