Abstract
We investigated patterns of habitat use by adult fishing spidersDolomedes triton in a seasonally dynamic freshwater wetland of the northern Everglades. Spiders were collected monthly (July 1990-January 1992) in adjacent wet prairie, alligator hole, and sawgrass habitats. Overall density of adult fishing spiders during the study period was 0.1 spiders per m2, although there was extensive seasonal variation in abundance of these semi-aquatic arthropod predators. Densities were significantly higher in sawgrass stands than in wet prairies or alligator holes, which did not differ from one another. Sawgrass sites were characterized by shallower water depths, taller and denser canopy structure, more extensive litter deposits, and fewer potential avian and piscine predators. Overall, these data suggest that structural complexity and habitat heterogeneity influence the demographics of the fishing spider in this Everglades marsh system.
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Jordan, F., Jelks, H.L. & Kitchens, W.M. Habitat use by the fishing spiderDolomedes triton in a northern Everglades wetland. Wetlands 14, 239–242 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160661
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160661