Abstract
Temporary spirals (TSP) in non-horizontal webs ofLeucauge mariana (Key-serling) showed consistent up-down asymmetries in initiation sites and spacing between loops that were not present in horizontal webs, even when possible effects of other web asymmetries were controlled for by changing the web's orientation just as TSP construction began. Cues from the web itself also affect spacing, since patterns of TSP placement differed between webs spun entirely at a given angle (e.g. 45°), and webs whose orientations were changed to that angle (e.g. 45°) just as TSP construction began. Spaces between successive TSP loops increased both above and below the hub, except for those of the outermost loop.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell, W. J. 1985 Sources of information controlling motor patterns in arthropod local search orientation.J. Ins. Physiol. 31: 837–847.
Berridge, K. C. & J. C. Fentress 1986 Deterministic versus probabilistic models of behaviour: taste-elicited actions in rats as a case study.Anim. Behav. 34: 871–880.
Dawkins, R. & M. Dawkins 1973 Decisions and the uncertainty of behaviour.Behaviour 45: 83–103.
Eberhard, W. G. 1972 The web ofUloborus diversus (Araneae: Uloboridae).J. Zool., Lond. 166: 417–465.
Eberhard, W. G. 1974 The “inverted ladder” web ofScoloderus sp. and the intermediate orb ofEustala (?) sp. (Araneidae).J. nat. Hist. 9: 93–106.
Eberhard, W. G. 1976 Photography of orb webs in the field.Bull. Brit. arachnol. Soc. 3: 200–204.
Eberhard, W. G. 1986 Effects of orb web geometry on prey interception and retention. In: W. A. Shear (ed.)Spider webs and spider behavior. pp. 70–100. Stanford Univ. Palo Alto.
Eberhard, W. G. in press. Kinesthetic memory as a cue in temporary spiral construction byLeucauge mariana (Araneae: Araneidae).J. Ins. Behav.
Eberhard, W. G. in preparation a. Flexibility in innate behavior: influence of contents of different silk glands on orb design.
Eberhard, W. G. in preparation b. Imprecision in behaviour and the evolutionary origin of new behaviour patterns.
Griffin, D. R. 1984 Animal thinking. Harvard Univ., Cambridge.
Hingston, R. W. G. 1920. A naturalist in Himalaya. Small, Marynard & Co., Boston.
Koenig, M. 1951 Beitrage zur Kenntnis des Netzbaus orbiteiler Spinnen.Z. Tierpsychol. 8: 462–492.
McCook, H. 1889 American spiders and their spinningwork. I. Webs and nests. Published by the author, Philadelphia.
Peters, P. 1970 Orb web construction: interaction of spider (Araneus diadematus Cl.) and thread configuration.Anim. Behav. 18: 478–484.
Reed, C. F., P. N. Witt, M. Scarboro & D. B. Peakall 1970 Experience and the orb web.Dev. Psychobiol. 3: 251–265.
Savory, T. H. 1952 The spider's web. Frederick Warne and Co., New York.
Vollrath, F. & W. Mohren 1985 Spiral geometry in the garden spider's orb web.Naturwissenschaften.72: 666–667.
Witt, P. N. 1965 Do we live in the best of all worlds? Spider webs suggest an answer.Perspect. Biol. Med. 8: 475–487.
Witt, P. N., C. F. Reed & D. B. Peakall 1968 A spider's web. Springer Verlag, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Eberhard, W.G. Effects of gravity on temporary spiral construction byLeucauge mariana (Araneae: Araneidae). J. Ethol. 5, 29–36 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347892
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347892