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Competition between introduced and native spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae)

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Abstract

The European sheet-web spider Linyphia triangularis (Araneae: Linyphiidae) has become established in Maine, where it often reaches very high densities. Two lines of evidence from previous work suggest that L. triangularis affects populations of the native linyphiid spider Frontinella communis. First, F. communis individuals are relatively scarce in both forest and coastal habitat where L. triangularis is common, but more common where L. triangularis is at low density. Second, in field experiments, F. communis species are less likely to settle in experimental plots when L. triangularis is present, and F. communis disappears from study plots when L. triangularis is introduced. Here we test two mechanisms that may underlie these patterns. First, we tested whether L. triangularis invades and usurps the webs of F. communis. When spiders were released onto webs of heterospecifics, L. triangularis was more likely to take over or share webs of F. communis than the reverse. We also observed natural takeovers of F. communis webs. Second, we explored the hypothesis that L. triangularis reduces prey availability for native species. We sampled flying prey in areas with L. triangularis and those where it had been removed, and found no effect of spider presence on measured prey density. We also found no effect of prey supplementation on web tenacity in F. communis, suggesting that F. communis movements are not highly dependent on prey availability. We conclude that web takeover is likely more important than prey reduction in driving negative effects of L. triangularis on F. communis.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate helpful comments from reviewers of earlier versions of the manuscript: R. Brodie, E. Clotfelter, S. Droege, K. Fite, R. Harrington, S. Hoffmann, J. Podos, S. Partan, D. Pope and P. Sievert. Special thanks to those who assisted with data collection: A. Porter, C. Skow, J. Bednarski, M. Gorski, and V. Johnson. We thank the staff at Acadia National Park, especially D. Manski, B. Connery, E. Pontbriand, and B. Wiedner, for assistance throughout this project and for permission to work at Schoodic. M. Bierman, J. McKenna, and the staff of the Schoodic Education and Research Center provided crucial logistic support. We are grateful to D. Jennings for advice and encouragement throughout this project. We thank the following funding sources: an NIH predoctoral training fellowship to J. D. H, a research grant from the American Arachnological Society to J. D. H, and a grant from the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey to J. D. H., E. M. J., and Daniel Jennings. Use of trade or product names does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Jeremy D. Houser

  2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Coastal Field Station, Woodward Hall-PSE, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA

    Howard Ginsberg

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Elizabeth M. Jakob

Authors
  1. Jeremy D. Houser
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  2. Howard Ginsberg
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Correspondence to Elizabeth M. Jakob.

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Houser, J.D., Ginsberg, H. & Jakob, E.M. Competition between introduced and native spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae). Biol Invasions 16, 2479–2488 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0679-0

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