Summary
Feeding experiments and prey collections in Panama have shown the tropical spitting spider Scytodes longipes to be a specialized feeder on soft-chitinized arthropods (Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Orthopteroidea, and Araneae); hard-chitinized insects (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Heteroptera) are refused. There is a considerable specialisation on spiders as prey. The unique prey-catching behaviour in which a gummy secretion is spat onto prey items is considered as an important characteristic of this specialisation. Pholcus phalangioides, a pholcid with convergent morphology and a different specialised prey-catching behaviour, is discussed as an ecological equivalent to Scytodes longipes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this article
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bonnet P (1958) Bibliographia araneorum. Toulouse, vol 2
Bristowe W (1931) Spitting as a means of capturing prey by spiders. Mag Nat Hist, VIII, 10:469–471
Dabelow S (1958) Zur Biologie der Leimschleuderspinne Scytodes thoracica (Latreille). Zool Jb Syst 86:85–126
Eberhard W (1979) Argyrodes attentuatus (Theridiidae): a web that is not a snare. Psyche 86:407–413
Edgar W (1969) Prey and predators of the wolf spider Lycosa lugubris. J Zool, London 159:405–411
Gettmann W (1978) Untersuchungen zum Nahrungsspektrum von Wolfsspinnen (Lycosidae) der Gattung Pardosa. Mitt Dt Ges Allg Ang Entomol 1:63–66
Hallander H (1970) Prey, cannibalism and microhabitat selection in the wolf spiders Pardosa chelata OF Müller and P. pullata Clerck. Oikos 21:337–340
Jackson R, Blest A (1982) The biology of Portia fimbriata, a web-building jumping spider (Araneae, Salticidae) from Queensland: utilization of webs and predatory versatility. J Zool, London 196:255–293
Kullmann E, Stern H (1981) Leben am seidenen Faden. München
Laibach E (1952) Lepisma saccharina L. Das Silberfischchen. Z hyg Zool Schädlingsbekämpfung 40:321–370
MacAlister W (1960) The spitting habit in the spider Scytodes intricata Banks (Family Scytodidae). Texas J Sci 12:17–20
Millot J (1930) Glandes vénimeuses et glandes séricigènes chez les Sicariides. Bull Soc Zool France 55:150–175
Monterosso B (1928) Note arachnologiche. — Sulla biologia degli Scitodidi e la ghiandola glutinifera di essi. Arch Zool Ital 12
Nentwig W (1983) The prey of web-building spiders compared with feeding experiments (Araneae: Araneidae, Linyphiidae, Pholcidae, Agelenidae). Oecologia 56:132–139
Nentwig W (1985) Architis nitidopilosa, a neotropical pisaurid with a permanent catching web (Araneae, Pisauridae). Bull Br Arachnol Soc, in press
Nentwig W (in press) Social spiders catch larger prey. A study on Anelosimus eximius (Theridiidae). Beh. Ecol. Sociobiol
Nentwig W, Heimer S (1983) Orb webs and single-line webs: An economic consequence of space web reduction in spiders. Z Zool Syst Evolutionsforschung 21:26–37
Pötzsch J (1966) Notizen zur Ernährung und Lebensweise von Meta menardi Latr. (Araneae; Araneidae). Abh Ber Naturkd Mus Görlitz 41:1–24
Schaefer M (1974) Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur Bedeutung der interspezifischen Konkurrenz bei 3 Wolfsspinnenarten (Araneida: Lycosidae) einer Salzwiese. Zool Jb Syst 101: 213–235
Uetz G, Johnson A, Schemske D (1978) Web placement, web structure, and prey capture in orb-weaving spiders. Bull Br Arachnol Soc 4:141–148
Valerio C (1981) Spitting spiders (Araneae, Scytodidae, Scytodes) from Central America. Bull Am Mus Nat Hist 170:80–89
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nentwig, W. Feeding ecology of the tropical spitting spider Scytodes longipes (Araneae, Scytodidae). Oecologia 65, 284–288 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379231
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379231