Summary
From a previous two-species comparison, specific suites of morphological and web design traits are predicted to characterize foraging specializations in old-field orb-weaving spiders. Species with stout legs, large fangs, open mesh webs, high webs, and retreats should specialize on innocuous, rapidly escaping prey types. Species with long legs, small fangs, dense mesh webs, and low webs that rest in the hub should specialize on dangerous, clumsy prey that escape from webs slowly. Factor and discriminant analyses are used to test for these association patterns in eight co-occurring species of old-field orb-weavers. The association between most of the characters is supported, but the appearance of a new combination suggests that another dimension needs to be added to the model. Habitat use and diet predicted by the model are tested for species where data are available.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hespenheide HA (1973) Ecological inferences from morphological data. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 44:213–29
Kaston BJ (1948) Spiders of Connecticut. Conn State Geol Nat Hist Surv Bull 70:1–874
Levi HW (1968) The spider genera Gea and Argiope in America (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull Mus Comp Zool 136(9):319–52
Levi HW (1970) The Diadematus group of the orb-weaver genus Araneus north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull Mus Comp Zool 141(4):131–179
Levi HW (1973) Small orb-weavers of the genus Araneus north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull Mus Comp Zool 145(9):473–552
Levi HW (1975) The American orb-weaver genera Larinia, Cercidia, and Mangora north of Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull Mus Comp Zool 147(3):101–135
Levi HW (1976) The orb-weaver genera Verrucosa, Acanthepeira, Wagneriana, Acacesia, Wixia, Scolderus, and Alpaida north of Mexico. Bull Mus Comp Zool 147(8):351–391
Levi HW, Berman JD (1971) The orb-weaver genus Neoscona in North America (Araneae: Araneidae). Bull Mus Comp Zool 141(8):465–500
Nie NH, Hull CH, Jenkins JG, Steinbrenner K, Bent DH (1975) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York
Olive CW (1980) Foraging specializations in orb-weaving spiders. Ecology 61:1133–44
Phelps L (1967) On the nature of predation by the spiders Argiope aurantia Lucas and Argiope trifasciata Forskal. M.A. Thesis. Univ. of Wisconsin: Madison, Wisconsin
Risch P (1977) Quantitative analysis of orb-web patterns in four species of spiders. Behav Genetics 7(3):199–238
Robinson MH (1975) The evolution of predatory behavior in areneid spiders. In: Function and Evolution in Behavior (G Baerends) (ed). Clarendon Press New York, p 292–312
Schoener TW (1974) Resource partitioning in ecological communities. Science 185:27–39
Tolbert WW (1976) Population dynamics of the orb-weaving spiders Argiope trifasciata and Argiope aurantia (Araneae: Araneidae): Density changes associated with mortality, natality and migrations. Ph D Thesis University of Tennessee: Knoxville, Tennessee
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Olive, C.W. Co-adapted foraging traits in a guild of orb-weaving spiders. Oecologia 49, 88–91 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376903
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376903