Niche partitioning in orbweaving spiders Meta menardi and Metellina merianae (Tetragnathidae)

Novak, Tone; Tkavc, Tina; Kuntner, Matjaž; Arnett, Amy E.; Delakorda, Saška Lipovšek; Perc, Matjaž; Janžekovič, Franc

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2010.07.005

Cited by 70 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Literature supports that low prey specialization of orb web spiders and sheet‐tangle spiders seems to be a general pattern of web‐building spiders (Sanders et al., 2015; Wise & Barata, 1983). The large amount of prey variation among spider species within orb and sheet‐tangle types observed in our study (Figure 4) could also be indicative of intragroup variation in web architectures (e.g., web size, quality/thickness of the threads, location of the webs), which may have affected prey capture as well (Novak et al., 2010; Olive, 1980). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caught in the web: Spider web architecture affects prey specialization and spider–prey stoichiometric relationships

Ludwig

Barbour

Guevara

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Quantitative approaches to predator–prey interactions are central to understanding the structure of food webs and their dynamics. Different predatory strategies may influence the occurrence and strength of trophic interactions likely affecting the rates and magnitudes of energy and nutrient transfer between trophic levels and stoichiometry of predator–prey interactions. Here, we used spider–prey interactions as a model system to investigate whether different spider web architectures—orb, tangle, and sheet‐tangle—affect the composition and diet breadth of spiders and whether these, in turn, influence stoichiometric relationships between spiders and their prey. Our results showed that web architecture partially affects the richness and composition of the prey captured by spiders. Tangle‐web spiders were specialists, capturing a restricted subset of the prey community (primarily Diptera), whereas orb and sheet‐tangle web spiders were generalists, capturing a broader range of prey types. We also observed elemental imbalances between spiders and their prey. In general, spiders had higher requirements for both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) than those provided by their prey even after accounting for prey biomass. Larger P imbalances for tangle‐web spiders than for orb and sheet‐tangle web spiders suggest that trophic specialization may impose strong elemental constraints for these predators unless they display behavioral or physiological mechanisms to cope with nutrient limitation. Our findings suggest that integrating quantitative analysis of species interactions with elemental stoichiometry can help to better understand the occurrence of stoichiometric imbalances in predator–prey interactions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caught in the web: Spider web architecture affects prey specialization and spider–prey stoichiometric relationships

Ludwig

Barbour

Guevara

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…These are T. cavicola, T. neglectus, M. menardi, F. illyrica and A. aurantiacus. while M. menardi (mostly, see the life cycle in Novak et al 2010) and L. schreibersii are residents of subterranean habitats, the migratory species alternate between epigean and hypogean habitats, with minimal total loss (0.74%) of their biomass in caves during winter. Besides, all the individuals that die in caves are infected by entomopathogenic fungi and are thus not directly available to subterranean animals, at least not to arthropods, which strictly avoid contact with infested cadavers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data on dead organisms and excrement were estimated because the study was not designed to monitor these. Predated individuals are discussed in Novak et al (2010). By 2013, 64 caves in total had been investigated in the same way (own unpublished data).…”

Section: Contribution Of Non-troglobiotic Terrestrial Invertebrates Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of non-troglobiotic terrestrial invertebrates to carbon input in hypogean habitats

Novak

Janžekovič

Lipovšček

2013

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IzvlečekUDK 592:546.26:551.44 Tone Novak, Franc Janžekovič ˛& Saška Lipovšek: Prispevek prezimujočih netroglobiontskih kopenskih nevretenčarjev k vnosu ogljika v podzemeljske habitate V enajstih najpomembnejših vrstah kopenskih nevretenčarjev v jamah Slovenije smo proučili razlike v biomasi, suhi masi, energijski vsebnosti in količini ogljika v zimskem obdobju. Te podatke smo obravnavali v kombinaciji z abundanco v 54 jamah in rudnikih, da bi ocenili količino organskega ogljika v njih ter vnos ogljika v te habitate. V srednji Evropi so najpomembnejše vrste, ki vnašajo ogljik v podzemlje, Troglophilus cavicola, T. neglectus, Faustina illyrica, Amilenus aurantiacus in Scoliopteryx libatrix. V nasprotju s splošno domnevo, prispevajo poginuli osebki le 0,15 % C glede na skupno migrirajočo biomaso, ki ga troglobionti ne morejo neposredno uporabiti zaradi okužb z entomopatogenimi glivami. Skupaj z uplenjenimi osebki vnos ne presega 0,3 % biomase teh vrst. Te razmere je treba skrbno proučiti v vsakem kraškem predelu, kjer se migrirajoča favna razlikuje od ostalih območij. Ključne besede: biomasa, dihanje, jame, tok ogljika, netroglobiontske vrste, organski ogljik. Eleven of the most important terrestrial invertebrate species in Slovenian caves were analyzed for differences in their fresh and dry biomass, energy content and carbon bulk during winter. These data were combined with the species abundance in 54 caves and adits in order to estimate their organic carbon bulk and carbon input into these habitats. In Central European caves, Troglophilus cavicola, T. neglectus, Faustina illyrica, Amilenus aurantiacus and Scoliopteryx libatrix are the most important vectors of carbon between the epigean and hypogean habitats. In contrast to the general assumption, carbon total contribution to caves via dead bodies is only 0.15% of total migratory biomass, and it is not directly available to troglobionts because of infection with entomopathogenic fungi. In winter, together with predated migratory specimens, carbon input does not exceed 0.3% of the total migratory biomass. This situation should be carefully examined in every karstic region inhabited by distinctive fauna.

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“…The same analyses of the spatial niches were carried out on two co-existing spider species, Meta menardi and Metellina meriannae (Novak et al 2010b). In this case, the variations in temperature, humidity, airflow and illumination were subjected to PCA.…”

Section: Environmental Niche Of Three Hymenopteran and Two Spider Spementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Claude et al (2003) demonstrated, using the case of turtles, that geometric morphometry, evaluated with PCA, can help to analyze the evolution of convergence. Morphometric differences between related species can easily refer to niche partitioning, reflecting differences in spatial or trophic level (Catalan et al 2009;Niet-Castañda & Jiménez-Jiménez 2009;Novak et al, 2010b).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

PCA – A Powerful Method for Analyze Ecological Niches

Janžekovič¹,

Novak²

2012

Principal Component Analysis - Multidisciplinary Applications

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Niche partitioning in orbweaving spiders Meta menardi and Metellina merianae (Tetragnathidae)

Cited by 70 publications

References 38 publications

Caught in the web: Spider web architecture affects prey specialization and spider–prey stoichiometric relationships

Caught in the web: Spider web architecture affects prey specialization and spider–prey stoichiometric relationships

Contribution of non-troglobiotic terrestrial invertebrates to carbon input in hypogean habitats

PCA – A Powerful Method for Analyze Ecological Niches

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