Relating the Cost of Spinning Silk to the Tendency to Share It for Three Embiids with Different Lifestyles (Order Embiidina: Clothodidae, Notoligotomidae, and Australembiidae)

Edgerly, Janice S.; Shenoy, Samantha; Werner, Vera

doi:10.1603/0046-225x-35.2.448

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Observations of cultures raised in laboratory conditions revealed that these differences persist even under common garden conditions (personal observation; JSE) suggesting the possibility that silk spinning tendencies have diversified. Previous studies of webspinners have sought to understand subsocial and colonial behaviour (see references in Edgerly ()), relationships between embiopterans and their environment (Edgerly & Rooks, ; Edgerly, Tadimalla & Dahlhoff, ; Edgerly, Shenoy & Werner, ), and the function and structure of silk (Okada et al ., ; Collin et al ., , b; Addison et al ., ) with progress still being made in these areas. Our current goal is to determine whether silk spinning diversity can be quantified, scored, and used to understand embiopteran evolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Choreography of silk spinning by webspinners (Insecta: Embioptera) reflects lifestyle and hints at phylogeny

McMillan

Hohu

Edgerly

2016

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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Silk spinning defines the morphologically constrained embiopterans. All individuals spin for protection, including immatures, adult males and the wingless females. Enlarged front tarsi are packed with silk glands and clothed with ejectors. They spin by stepping with their front feet and releasing silk against substrates and onto preexisting silk, often cloth-like. Spinning is stereotypical and appears to differ between species in frequency and probability of transition between two spin-step positions. This spinning choreography was assessed using thousands of spin-steps scored in the laboratory for 22 species to test: (1) the body size hypothesis predicting that spinning would be more complex for larger species; and (2) the phylogeny hypothesis which predicted that spinning would display phylogenetic signal. Tests relied on published phylogenies for the order Embioptera. Independent contrast analysis revealed relationships between five spin characteristics and body size, whereby, for example, larger webspinners invested in relatively larger prothoracic tarsi used for spinning and in spin-steps that would yield expansive silk coverings. Spin-step dynamics displayed a phylogenetic signal for the frequency of six spin-steps and for 16 spin-step transitions. Discussion focuses on patterns revealed by analysis of phylogenetic signal and the relationship to life style and to recently discovered chemical characteristics of silk.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Choreography of silk spinning by webspinners (Insecta: Embioptera) reflects lifestyle and hints at phylogeny

McMillan

Hohu

Edgerly

2016

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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“…However, the inability of the males to feed may put physiological stresses on them not applicable to females. We suspect that silk production incurs costs, especially if the results gleaned from an investigation on three other species of webspinners (Edgerly et al, 2006) can be applied to Ap. ceylonica.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from Embioptera, a spinning apparatus in the basitarsomere is only known in males of Hilarini (Diptera: Empididae) (Young and Merritt, 2003). Embioptera use silk to build galleries, which serve as both habitat and as protection against predators (Edgerly, 1988(Edgerly, , 1994Ross, 2000;Edgerly et al, 2006). Sociality in Embioptera as summarized by Edgerly (1997) is established by their parental behaviour and the mutual building and inhabiting of silk galleries in many species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spinning behaviour and morphology of the spinning glands in male and female Aposthonia ceylonica (Enderlein, 1912) (Embioptera: Oligotomidae)

Edgerly

Büsse²,

Hörnschemeyer³

2012

Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology

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“…For most of their lives, individuals of A. urichi benefit from the close proximity of others. Furthermore, they seek opportunities to share silk, as is evidenced by the common occurrence of “joiners” identified during a long-term field census ( Edgerly 1987b ) and in laboratory ( Edgerly et al 2006 ) and field experiments ( Edgerly 1986 ). On the other hand, if females are guarding eggs (as depicted in Figure 1 ), over approximately 6 weeks, they potentially suffer by being near others similarly guarding eggs ( Edgerly 1987b ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Silk-sharing A. urichi experience a decreased risk of predation as mentioned above ( Edgerly 1994 ). Sharing silk by adults does not appear to be in response to the costs associated with the behavior of spinning, since these are low, but rather to the functioning of the silk, which is enhanced when many individuals contribute to its structural integrity and expansiveness ( Edgerly et al 2006 ). Furthermore, when females disperse they must walk out in the open.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal Territoriality Achieved Through Shaking and Lunging: An Investigation of Patterns in Associated Behaviors and Substrate Vibrations in a Colonial Embiopteran,Antipaluria urichi

Dejan

Fresquez

Meyer

et al. 2013

Journal of Insect Science

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Substrate vibration communication is displayed by a variety of insects that rely on silk for shelter. Such signaling is often associated with territoriality and social interactions. The goal in this study was to explore the use of substrate vibration by subsocial insects of the little-studied order Embioptera (also known as Embiidina). Antipaluria urichi (Saussure) (Embioptera: Clothodidae) from Trinidad and Tobago, a large embiopteran, exhibits maternal care and facultatively colonial behavior. Previous observations suggested that they were aggressive while guarding eggs but gregarious when not. Egg-guarders in particular have been observed shaking and lunging their bodies, but to date these putative signals have not been recorded nor were their contexts known. Staged interactions were conducted in the laboratory using residents that had established silk domiciles enveloping piezo-electric film used to detect vibrations. Predictions from two competing hypotheses, the maternal territoriality hypothesis and the group cohesion hypothesis, were erected to explain the occurrence of signaling. Experiments pitted pre-reproductive and egg-guarding residents against female and male intruders, representing social partners that ranged from potentially threatening to innocuous or even helpful. Behavioral acts were identified and scored along with associated substrate vibrations, which were measured for associated body movements, duration, and frequency spectra. Signals, sorted by the distinct actions used to generate them, were lunge, shake, push up, and snapback. Egg-guarding females produced most signals in response to female intruders, a result that supported the maternal territoriality hypothesis. Female intruders generally responded to such signaling by moving away from egg-guarding residents. In contrast, pre-reproductive residents did not signal much, and intruders settled beside them. Theme software was used to analyze the behavioral event recordings to seek patterns over time and their association with signals. Long patterns of behavioral acts were associated with shakes, lunges, and push-ups, indicating that interactions were occurring between the residents and intruders as would be expected when communication occurs. The value of Theme software, as well as the relationship between signaling by A. urichi and the risks and benefits of coloniality, are discussed.

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Relating the Cost of Spinning Silk to the Tendency to Share It for Three Embiids with Different Lifestyles (Order Embiidina: Clothodidae, Notoligotomidae, and Australembiidae)

Cited by 15 publications

References 21 publications

Choreography of silk spinning by webspinners (Insecta: Embioptera) reflects lifestyle and hints at phylogeny

Choreography of silk spinning by webspinners (Insecta: Embioptera) reflects lifestyle and hints at phylogeny

Spinning behaviour and morphology of the spinning glands in male and female Aposthonia ceylonica (Enderlein, 1912) (Embioptera: Oligotomidae)

Maternal Territoriality Achieved Through Shaking and Lunging: An Investigation of Patterns in Associated Behaviors and Substrate Vibrations in a Colonial Embiopteran,Antipaluria urichi

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