The silk tuft web decorations of the orb-weaver Gasteracantha cancriformis : testing the prey attraction and the web advertisement hypotheses

Gawryszewski, Felipe M.; Motta, Paulo César

doi:10.1163/156853908783402911

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…2C), probably making the web conspicuous to potential web-destroyers such as birds and large flying insects. Tufts decorating G. cancriformis webs also had a flat spectrum with a 15% reflectance, including the UV component (Gawryszewski and Motta, 2008) and tufts at least on resting webs were thought to serve as advertisements (Eberhard, 2007;Jaffé et al, 2006). The presence of FTDs thus agrees with the web-destroyer deterrence hypothesis, by advertising the presence of the web that is home to both the fragile moulting spider and the non-feeding wasp pupa.…”

Section: Mechanical Properties Of Thread (Tensile Strength)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Host manipulation by an ichneumonid spider ectoparasitoid that takes advantage of preprogrammed web-building behaviour for its cocoon protection

Takasuka

Yasui

Ishigami

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Host manipulation by parasites and parasitoids is a fascinating phenomenon within evolutionary ecology, representing an example of extended phenotypes. To elucidate the mechanism of host manipulation, revealing the origin and function of the invoked actions is essential. Our study focused on the ichneumonid spider ectoparasitoid Reclinervellus nielseni, which turns its host spider (Cyclosa argenteoalba) into a drugged navvy, to modify the web structure into a more persistent cocoon web so that the wasp can pupate safely on this web after the spider's death. We focused on whether the cocoon web originated from the resting web that an unparasitized spider builds before moulting, by comparing web structures, building behaviour and silk spectral/tensile properties. We found that both resting and cocoon webs have reduced numbers of radii decorated by numerous fibrous threads and specific decorating behaviour was identical, suggesting that the cocoon web in this system has roots in the innate resting web and ecdysteroid-related components may be responsible for the manipulation. We also show that these decorations reflect UV light, possibly to prevent damage by flying web-destroyers such as birds or large insects. Furthermore, the tensile test revealed that the spider is induced to repeat certain behavioural steps in addition to resting web construction so that many more threads are laid down for web reinforcement.

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Section: Mechanical Properties Of Thread (Tensile Strength)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Host manipulation by an ichneumonid spider ectoparasitoid that takes advantage of preprogrammed web-building behaviour for its cocoon protection

Takasuka

Yasui

Ishigami

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Nevertheless, D. melanogaster has shown preference for decorated over undecorated webs under similar conditions (CRAIG & BERNARD 1990;LI et al 2004). In addition, small dipterans comprise 64% of the insects captured by G. cancriformis webs in the same study area, followed by small hymenopterans (23%) (GAWRYSZEWSKI & MOTTA 2008). These small flies are readily consumed by the spiders (pers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Webs of adult and sub-adult females are found at heights ranging from less than 1 m to more than 6 m. Webs are re-built every morning and removed at sunset. Webs contain silk decorations consisting of tufts added at intervals along the supporting threads and near the web hub (MUMA 1971;JAFFE et al 2006;EBERHARD 2007;GAWRYSZEWSKI & MOTTA 2008).…”

Section: Study Species and Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We measured the reflectance spectra of the spiders, the paints used to manipulate spiders and the background environment using methodology similar to that described by GAWRYSZEWSKI & MOTTA (2008). We measured the samples using a specific probe (R400-7, Ocean Optics Inc., Dunedin, USA) connected to a spectrometer (USB4000, Ocean Optics Inc, Dunedin, USA) and to a light source (PX-2 light source, Ocean Optics Inc, Dunedin, USA).…”

Section: Measurement Of Reflectance Spectramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the fact that the prey attraction hypothesis is often cited to explain conspicuous colours in spiders and web decorations, there is increasing evidence against this hypothesis (BLACKLEDGE & WENZEL 1999;EBERHARD 2003;CHOU et al 2005;GONZAGA & VASCONCELLOS-NETO 2005;HOESE et al 2006;JAFFE et al 2006;VÁCLAV & PROKOP 2006;EBERHARD 2007EBERHARD , 2008GAWRYSZEWSKI & MOTTA 2008;RAO & HERBERSTEIN 2008;VANDERHOFF et al 2008) and it is important evaluate the role of conspicuous patterns in other species. Moreover, when studying colouration patterns in predators it is important to take into account that the perceived colouration of an animal depends on the visual system of the organism that observe that animal, the light that reaches the animal and the background where the animal is exposed (ENDLER 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Colouration of the orb-web spiderGasteracantha cancriformisdoes not increase its foraging success

Gawryszewski

Motta

2012

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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The presence of conspicuous colouration in predators is puzzling because natural selection is expected to favour cryptic or disruptive colouration, making predators less detectable by prey. However, the prey attraction hypothesis proposes that conspicuous colour patterns in spiders increase their foraging success by luring prey. Using manipulative experiments we tested the prey attraction hypothesis for the three most common colour morphs of the orb-weaver Gasteracantha cancriformis (yellow, white, and black and white), as well as individuals painted black and individuals painted yellow. Contrary to our predictions, the black painted spiders had the highest number of damaged areas in webs (an indirect measure of foraging success). Black painted spiders were also observed more often consuming prey and with prey remains in the web, although the trend was not significant. Furthermore, there was no difference in the number of prey intercepted by webs of each spider colour and, in the laboratory, Drosophila melanogaster did not choose any of the spider colours preferentially. Our results suggest that colouration in G. cancriformis is costly or neutral in terms of foraging success. Alternatively, we propose that colouration in Gasteracantha could be an aposematic signal.

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Trap barricading and decorating by a well-armored sit-and-wait predator: extra protection or prey attraction?

Tseng

Cheng

et al. 2011

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Animals may build multiple structures to provide benefits to counter the costs of building. Many orb web spiders add multiple structures, e.g., barricading barrier webs and silk decorations, to their webs and these structures have been hypothesized to function to deter predators or attract prey. The heavily armored spiny spiders construct barrier webs around their orb webs and decorate them with conspicuous silk tufts. Why these organisms, already well protected by a thick cuticle and spines, make the extra investment of building barrier webs and adding conspicuous silk decorations is not known. We predicted that these structures function to both attract prey and deter predators. Field experiments were conducted in two consecutive years using orb webs built by the East Asian spiny spider Thelacantha brevispina. We either (1) concealed the decoration, (2) removed the barrier webs, or (3) left the decorations and barrier webs intact. We found year and treatment to interactively influence prey interception rates. In 2010, but not in 2009, we found prey interception with T. brevispina webs to be greater when the decorations were conspicuous than when they were concealed suggesting that the decorations may lure prey. Prey interception was lower when the barrier webs were present without decorations compared to when they were absent without decorations. The prey-attracting function of the decorations thus may counter the reduction in prey interception incurred by adding a barrier web. Predatory wasp interactions were not influenced by any of our treatments, probably because the spiders' thick cuticle is the primary means of protection from wasps. Bird predation events, while rare, occurred only when decorations were concealed or the barrier webs were removed. It is therefore plausible that the tuft decorations both lure prey and deter birds

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The silk tuft web decorations of the orb-weaver Gasteracantha cancriformis : testing the prey attraction and the web advertisement hypotheses

Cited by 13 publications

References 31 publications

Host manipulation by an ichneumonid spider ectoparasitoid that takes advantage of preprogrammed web-building behaviour for its cocoon protection

Host manipulation by an ichneumonid spider ectoparasitoid that takes advantage of preprogrammed web-building behaviour for its cocoon protection

Colouration of the orb-web spiderGasteracantha cancriformisdoes not increase its foraging success

Trap barricading and decorating by a well-armored sit-and-wait predator: extra protection or prey attraction?

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