A trap and a lure: dual function of a nocturnal animal construction

Lai, Chih‐Wei; Zhang, Shichang; Piorkowski, Dakota; Liao, Chen‐Pan; Tso, I‐Min

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.06.016

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We measured the spectral reflectance of both spiders ( n = 10) and their decorations ( n = 10) using a spectrometer (USB4000; Ocean Optics, Inc.) with a DH‐2000 deuterium and tungsten halogen light source (wavelength range: 215–2,000 nm; Ocean Optics, Inc.) following standard protocols (Lai, Zhang, Piorkowski, Liao, & Tso, 2017; Zhang, Chen, et al, 2015; Zhang, Mao, et al, 2015). The white reference was WS‐1‐SL diffuse reflectance standard with a perfect diffuser (>96% reflectance from 250 to 2,000 nm; Yunxiang Inc.).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detritus decorations as the extended phenotype deflect avian predator attack in an orb‐web spider

Gong

et al. 2020

Functional Ecology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. A number of strategies that divert attacks of visually guided predators, such as birds, have evolved multiple times in animals. Detritus web decorations built by certain orb-web spider species are thought to deflect avian predator attacks away from spiders and towards their web decorations. Still, empirical evidence for this function and its adaptive significance is lacking. The orb-web spider, Cyclosa monticola, adorns its web using a linear detritus decoration consisting of moults, egg sacs, prey remains and leaf litters. 2. In the present study, we investigated whether detritus decorations constructed by C. monticola spiders divert attacks of avian predators away from spiders. We first employed colour modelling to compare spider bodies and detritus decoration colouration from the perspective of domestic chicks and blue tits. We then experimentally tested the deflection hypothesis in the laboratory using naïve chicks as predators. We put the chicks in a cage containing a web either with (S+) or without (S−) a spider and either with (D+) or without (D−) detritus decoration (a total of four types of webs: S+D+, S+D−, S−D+ and S−D−) under both natural habitat background and white background. 3. We found that the colour of C. monticola spiders is indistinguishable from that of their detritus decorations for both chicks and blue tits with both backgrounds. Laboratory predation experiments showed that with both backgrounds, chicks attacked the spiders much less frequently when their decorations were present on the webs (S+D+; natural habitat: 20%, white background: 30%) than when their decorations were absent (S+D−; natural habitat: 95%, white background: 85%), resulting in greater spider survival advantage. 4. We also found that the rate of attack of spiders and their decorations was not random; the decorations were more likely to be attacked than spiders, regardless of the ratio of surface area of decorations to spider bodies when both spiders and decorations were presented (S+D+). Therefore, our results support a deflection, rather than concealment hypothesis for web decorations. | 2111 Functional Ecology MA et Al.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detritus decorations as the extended phenotype deflect avian predator attack in an orb‐web spider

Gong

et al. 2020

Functional Ecology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The latter study used a sample obtained by winding lots of layers from webs onto card. About 1 mm thickness of the silk was used [33]. Using a sample of the form used in [33] could potentially lead biologists to make measurements on a similar sample made by winding many layers of transparent, ecribellate silk.…”

Section: Silk Optic-shape Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary approach taken in this work is to study what results are obtained using a simpler, but essentially analogous, experiment to that reported in [19], as supported by current, commercially available photoreflectance measurement equipment. Such equipment has been used to measure the reflectance spectra of butterfly wings [31,32] and spider silk from the species P. clavis [33]. The latter is a royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos R. Soc.…”

Section: Silk Optic-shape Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Photoreflectance/scattering measurements of spider silks informed by standard optics

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The silks of certain orb weaving spiders are emerging as high-quality optical materials. This motivates study of the optical properties of such silk and particularly the comparative optical properties of the silks of different species. Any differences in optical properties may impart biological advantage for a spider species and make the silks interesting for biomimetic prospecting as optical materials. A prior study of the reflectance of spider silks from 18 species reported results for three species of modern orb weaving spiders ( Nephila clavipes, Argiope argentata and Micrathena Schreibersi ) as having reduced reflectance in the UV range. (Modern in the context used here means more recently derived.) The reduced UV reflectance was interpreted as an adaptive advantage in making the silks less visible to insects. Herein, a standard, experimental technique for measuring the reflectance spectrum of diffuse surfaces, using commercially available equipment, has been applied to samples of the silks of four modern species of orb weaving spiders: Phonognatha graeffei , Eriophora transmarina , Nephila plumipes and Argiope keyserlingi . This is a different technique than used in the previous study. Three of the four silks measured have a reduced signal in the UV. By taking the form of the silks as optical elements into account, it is shown that this is attributable to a combination of wavelength-dependent absorption and scattering by the silks rather than differences in reflectance for the different silks. Phonognatha graeffei dragline silk emerges as a very interesting spider silk with a flat ‘reflectance'/scattering spectrum which may indicate it is a low UV absorbing dielectric micro-fibre. Overall the measurement emerges as having the potential to compare the large numbers of silks from different species to prospect for those which have desirable optical properties.

show abstract

“…1-5 µm). We also know that the visibility, coloration and brightness of MA silk varies across environments, both among spider species and between individuals [28][29][30][31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spider silk colour covaries with thermal properties but not protein structure

Blamires

Cerexhe

White

et al. 2019

J. R. Soc. Interface.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding how and why animal secretions vary in property has important biomimetic implications as desirable properties might covary. Spider major ampullate (MA) silk, for instance, is a secretion earmarked for biomimetic applications, but many of its properties vary among and between species across environments. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MA silk colour, protein structure and thermal properties covary when protein uptake is manipulated in the spider Trichonephila plumipes . We collected silk from adult female spiders maintained on a protein-fed or protein-deprived diet. Based on spectrophotometric quantifications, we classified half the silks as ‘bee visible’ and the other half ‘bee invisible’. Wide angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry were then used to assess the silk's protein structure and thermal properties, respectively. We found that although protein structures and thermal properties varied across our treatments only the thermal properties covaried with colour. This ultimately suggests that protein structure alone is not responsible for MA silk thermal properties, nor does it affect silk colours. We speculate that similar ecological factors act on silk colour and thermal properties, which should be uncovered to inform biomimetic programmes.

show abstract

A trap and a lure: dual function of a nocturnal animal construction

Cited by 10 publications

References 34 publications

Detritus decorations as the extended phenotype deflect avian predator attack in an orb‐web spider

Detritus decorations as the extended phenotype deflect avian predator attack in an orb‐web spider

Photoreflectance/scattering measurements of spider silks informed by standard optics

Spider silk colour covaries with thermal properties but not protein structure

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About