The age and evolution of sociality in
            <i>Stegodyphus</i>
            spiders: a molecular phylogenetic perspective

Johannesen, Jes; Lubin, Yael; Smith, Deborah R.; Bilde, Trine; Schneider, Jutta M.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3699

Cited by 81 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Although a congener of S. mimosarum, S. dumicola represents an independent evolutionary transition to social living in this genus [13]. Moreover, S. dumicola occupies more arid regions of southwest Africa along the Kalahari Desert, a habitat characterized by lower primary productivity and intense predation by ants [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistent social interactions beget more pronounced personalities in a desert-dwelling social spider

et al. 2014

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The social niche specialization hypothesis predicts that repeated social interactions will generate social niches within groups, thereby promoting consistent individual differences in behaviour. Current support for this hypothesis is mixed, probably because the importance of social niches is dependent upon the ecology of the species. We test whether repeated interactions among group mates generate consistent individual differences in boldness in the social spider, Stegodyphus dumicola. In support of the social niche specialization hypothesis, we found that consistent individual differences in boldness increased with longer group tenure. Interestingly, these differences took longer to appear than in previous work suggesting this species needs more persistent social interactions to shape its behaviour. Recently disturbed colonies were shyer than older colonies, possibly reflecting differences in predation risk. Our study emphasizes the importance of the social environment in generating animal personalities, but also suggests that the pattern of personality development can depend on subtle differences in species' ecologies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistent social interactions beget more pronounced personalities in a desert-dwelling social spider

et al. 2014

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“…The permanently social species are derived from solitary subsocial sister species (Johannesen et al, 2007), but occupy more limited distribution ranges at lower latitudes and relatively more productive habitats than their subsocial sister species (Majer et al, 2013a,b). Our analyses of seven subsocial sister species confirms this pattern, which suggests that relative to the distribution ranges of close relatives with a solitary life style, the permanently social and derived species are confined to the most productive areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Groups show a female biased primary sex ratio, and new colonies are founded by adult mated females and her offspring. Furthermore, all social species are geographically restricted to subtropical and tropical environments (Avilés, 1997;Agnarsson et al, 2006;Johannesen et al, 2007). The combination of this distribution pattern and the multiple origins of convergent traits suggests that, common ecological factors may underlie or facilitate permanent sociality in spiders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat productivity predicts the global distribution of social spiders

2015

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Permanently-social spiders share a common suite of traits, including cooperative foraging and brood care, elimination of pre-mating dispersal, and the transition to an inbreeding mating system. Social spiders are confined to tropic and subtropical habitats, suggesting environmental constraints on the evolution of group living in spiders. Because, social spider groups are sedentary and dependent on arrival of insect prey in their capture webs, group living and the associated higher local density is expected to rely on a relatively resource rich environment. We used spatial statistical modeling to explore environmental factors underlying the macro-ecological patterns in the distribution and diversity patterns of social spiders. We found strong support for habitat productivity as a predictor of the distribution of social species, particularly in the Old World. We show that social species are restricted to more productive habitats relative to a set of closely related subsocial sister species with a solitary lifestyle. Within their distribution range, social species richness was higher where precipitation seasonality is lower. These macro-ecological patterns corroborate the underlying biological hypotheses that evolution of group living is facilitated in environments that provide more abundant insect prey and a more continuous supply of food resources.

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“…Social spiders do not show division of labor but communally care for the young, build and maintain the capture web, and hunt and feed together on large prey items. Phylogenetic analyses suggest several independent origins of permanent sociality from subsocial species (19,20). The transition occurs through philopatry and the elimination of breeding dispersal, leading to the unusual situation of complete inbreeding among group members (11).…”

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Benefits of cooperation with genetic kin in a subsocial spider

Schneider

Bilde

2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

101

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Interaction within groups exploiting a common resource may be prone to cheating by selfish actions that result in disadvantages for all members of the group, including the selfish individuals. Kin selection is one mechanism by which such dilemmas can be resolved This is because selfish acts toward relatives include the cost of lowering indirect fitness benefits that could otherwise be achieved through the propagation of shared genes. Kin selection theory has been proved to be of general importance for the origin of cooperative behaviors, but other driving forces, such as direct fitness benefits, can also promote helping behavior in many cooperatively breeding taxa. Investigating transitional systems is therefore particularly suitable for understanding the influence of kin selection on the initial spread of cooperative behaviors. Here we investigated the role of kinship in cooperative feeding. We used a cross-fostering design to control for genetic relatedness and group membership. Our study animal was the periodic social spider Stegodyphus lineatus, a transitional species that belongs to a genus containing both permanent social and periodic social species. In S. lineatus, the young cooperate in prey capture and feed communally. We provide clear experimental evidence for net benefits of cooperating with kin. Genetic relatedness within groups and not association with familiar individuals directly improved feeding efficiency and growth rates, demonstrating a positive effect of kin cooperation. Hence, in communally feeding spiders, nepotism favors group retention and reduces the conflict between selfish interests and the interests of the group. kin selection ͉ social spiders ͉ Stegodyphus ͉ tragedy of the commons ͉ nepotism

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The age and evolution of sociality in Stegodyphus spiders: a molecular phylogenetic perspective

Cited by 81 publications

References 29 publications

Persistent social interactions beget more pronounced personalities in a desert-dwelling social spider

Persistent social interactions beget more pronounced personalities in a desert-dwelling social spider

Habitat productivity predicts the global distribution of social spiders

Benefits of cooperation with genetic kin in a subsocial spider

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