Oophagy in spiders: consumption of invertebrate and vertebrate eggs

Nyffeler, Martin; Gibbons, J. Whitfield

doi:10.1636/joa-s-21-016

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Stalkers, including salticids and oxyopids, feed on similar prey. Webweavers are almost strictly insectivorous, while stalkers and wandering spiders exhibit a mixed strategy of insectivorous and araneophagic foraging patterns (Nyffeler 1999). The presence of diverse spider species (Table 1) indicates healthy surroundings, availability of food resources, habitat structures, prey occurrence and feeding activities during the study period at Saurashtra University Campus.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae) at Saurashtra University Campus, Rajkot, Gujarat during the monsoon

Jyotil K. Dave,

Varsha M. Trivedi

2024

J. Threat. Taxa

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The present work deals with the diversity of spiders during the monsoon within the Saurashtra University Campus, Rajkot, Gujarat. A total of 38 species of spiders belonging to 32 genera and 14 families were recorded. Araneidae (25.81%) was found to be the most dominant family, with nine species from five genera. Guild structure analysis revealed seven feeding guilds, among all 31% most dominant feeding guilds represented by orb-web builders and stalkers, followed by ground runners (13%), irregular webs (10%), ambushers (7%), foliage hunters (6%), and space-web builders (2%). Ecological indices reveal high species richness (Margalef’s d = 8.97) and diversity (Shannon Index H’ = 3.526, Fisher alpha diversity α = 41.73). It concludes that the abundance of spider species at this study site was high and the evenness index was also high (e >0, e = 0.8944). These findings suggest the absence of stress elements in the study area.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae) at Saurashtra University Campus, Rajkot, Gujarat during the monsoon

Jyotil K. Dave,

Varsha M. Trivedi

2024

J. Threat. Taxa

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“…Harvestmen have been conventionally described as predators or omnivores and spiders as predators; both groups, however, depend largely on arthropods as food (Nentwig 1987;Wise 1993;Nyffeler et al 1994;Acosta & Machado 2007). More recent studies expanded our understanding of the foraging behavior and diet of harvestmen and spiders, including observations of individuals feeding on small vertebrates (e.g., Castanho & Pinto-da-Rocha 2005;Benson & Chartier 2010;Oliveira et al 2010;Nyffeler et al 2017a;Nyffeler & Gibbons 2022a) and other unusual prey, such as gastropods (Nyffeler & Symondson 2001), earthworms (Nyffeler et al 2017b), and eggs of invertebrates and vertebrates (Nyffeler & Gibbons 2022b).…”

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Fungus and fruit consumption by harvestmen and spiders (Opiliones, Araneae): the vegetarian side of two predominantly predaceous arachnid groups

Nyffeler

Machado

Hartmann

et al. 2023

The Journal of Arachnology

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In this review, we report on harvestmen and spiders feeding on fungi, fruits, and seeds. Fungivory in harvestmen is widespread, with most reports referring to tropical species in the family Sclerosomatidae, which consume mainly small forest mushrooms (families Marasmiaceae and Mycenaceae). In contrast, consumption of fungal material by spiders apparently occurs only if airborne spores trapped in the viscid threads of orb-webs (e.g., Araneidae and Tetragnathidae) are ingested along with old webs prior to the construction of new webs. Consumption of fruit pulp by harvestmen is also widespread, with several records of Leiobunum spp. (Sclerosomatidae) feeding on Rubus spp. berries and other lipid-poor fruits in the Holarctic region. In Neotropical forests, harvestmen in the families Cosmetidae and Gonyleptidae feed on lipidpoor pulp of fallen fruits. Among spiders, we document several cases of synanthropic species opportunistically feeding on fruit waste (e.g., pieces of banana, papaya, watermelon, or orange pulp) inside houses or disposed in yards. Only one case of a spider feeding on a wild fruit in the field was found in our search. Finally, we report several cases of harvestmen and spiders feeding on elaiosomes or arils (i.e., lipid-rich seed appendages). In conclusion, harvestmen consume mushrooms, fruit pulp, seeds, and seed appendages more frequently than spiders probably because they are ''solid food feeders'', which means they can ingest solid tissues by biting off small pieces. In turn, spiders are ''fluid feeders'' and feed on vegetable matter most frequently in the form of fluids (e.g., nectar, stigmatic exudate, plant sap, and honey dew), rather than fungal or plant tissues.

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Spiders are important predators in many terrestrial ecosystems (Wise, 1993). They also provide a beneficial function as they consume a wide range of insects, including pest species (Nyffeler, 1999). This is especially relevant for agroecosystems (Michalko et al, 2019;Riechert, 1999).

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Which temperature matters? Effects of origin, rearing and test conditions on the chemical sensitivity of Pardosa amentata

Duque,

Schäfer,

Entling

2023

J Applied Entomology

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Spiders may be adversely affected by pesticides, yet they are not included in regulatory risk assessment and a related standard guideline to test their sensitivity to chemicals is lacking. Different laboratory setups, including test temperature and relative humidity, have been shown to influence the sensitivity of spiders. The climate from which spiders originate and the rearing conditions in the laboratory prior to ecotoxicological testing may also alter their sensitivity to chemicals, potentially in interaction with test conditions. We investigated the influence of population origin, rearing and test temperature on the chemical sensitivity of the spider Pardosa amentata towards lambda‐cyhalothrin. We collected female P. amentata carrying egg sacs from two climates, i.e., boreal and cool temperate. Spiders were kept in the laboratory and their offspring were reared and tested at 15, 20 and 25°C. Hatching of egg sacs largely failed at 15°C, while a moderate spiderling mortality (40%) was recorded at 20°C. At 25°C, mortality increased (63%) and a faster developmental rate was observed. Rearing and test temperature had no significant effects on spider chemical sensitivity. However, spider chemical sensitivity differed between populations, with spiders from boreal climate being 38% more sensitive than spiders from cool temperate climate. A higher sensitivity towards lambda‐cyhalothrin increases the risk of population reduction in treated areas, with potential alterations of ecosystem functions such as biological control. Our results suggest that the climatic origin of test organisms deserves stronger attention in ecotoxicological research.

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Oophagy in spiders: consumption of invertebrate and vertebrate eggs

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 4 publications

References 55 publications

Spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae) at Saurashtra University Campus, Rajkot, Gujarat during the monsoon

Spider diversity (Arachnida: Araneae) at Saurashtra University Campus, Rajkot, Gujarat during the monsoon

Fungus and fruit consumption by harvestmen and spiders (Opiliones, Araneae): the vegetarian side of two predominantly predaceous arachnid groups

Which temperature matters? Effects of origin, rearing and test conditions on the chemical sensitivity of Pardosa amentata

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