The effects of temperature on the web‐building behaviour of the common house spider, <i>Achaearanea tepidariorum</i>

Barghusen, L. E.; Claussen, Dennis L.; Anderson, Meghan; Bailer, A. John

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2435.1997.00040.x

Cited by 33 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In fact, the dependency of spider webs on environmental and physiological conditions is not exclusive of orb-weavers. Barghusen et al (1997) suggested that Achaearanea tepidariorum C.L. Koch (Araneae: Theridiidae), an aerial space web builder (Uetz et al, 1999) optimizes web construction by temperature selection and found an optimal experimental temperature at 20°C at which the spiders produced the heaviest webs and prey capture should be maximized.…”

Section: Bioecological Interpretation Of the Effect Of Temperature Onmentioning

confidence: 99%

A simulation-based method to compare the pest suppression potential of predators: A case study with spiders

et al. 2018

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A B S T R A C TAssessing and comparing the pest killing capacity of predators is a crucial but laborious task during the implementation of sustainable farming systems. Critical attributes of assessment include quantifying predator's attack rate (a) and handling time (T h ). The maximum attack rate (T/T h ) (i.e. the maximum number of prey that can be attacked by a predator during the time interval (T) considered) could be a more precise and interpretable indicator of the potential suppression of pests exerted by a predator; however, its calculation only provides a point estimator usually derived from incomplete datasets (e.g. unbalanced or low replicated experimental designs) that could lead to draw wrong conclusions. We introduce simaR (simulation of maximum attack rates using R), an R library that generates 95% confidence intervals around estimates of the maximum attack rate that can be easily and intuitively used to compare across species. We validated the simulation method and used the empirical results of a controlled laboratory experiment to compare the maximum attack rates of spiders across a range of Medfly prey densities and illustrate how to use simaR with non-replicated partial data. Applying our method we found a significant effect of temperature on the maximum attack rate of two different guilds of spiders, the orb-weaver A. cucurbitina and the ambusher S. globosum that was not relevant regarding their attack rate and handling time. Our method compares different predator species and/or experimental conditions in a simple and reproducible procedure through an accurate, easy-to-use, fast and statistically robust analysis, based on simulation and bootstrapping, that can be used to assess the pest suppression potential of predators by simulating their functional responses from low-effort laboratory trials.

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Section: Bioecological Interpretation Of the Effect Of Temperature Onmentioning

confidence: 99%

A simulation-based method to compare the pest suppression potential of predators: A case study with spiders

et al. 2018

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“…The use of webs for foraging and the role that trapping threads play in catching prey have been described several times (see, e.g., Nielsen 1932;Szlep 1965;Foelix 1996;Barghusen et al 1997;Griswold et al 1998). Szlep (1965) has found that A. tepidariorum spin webs that closely resemble those of the Mediterranean Black Widow spider Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (Rossi).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors of the present paper regard this phase of wrap attack, in which the prey is not rotated as it is wrapped, as a continuation of immobilization wrapping described above. A. tepidariorum is known for capturing crawling prey when the prey encounters the viscid vertical capture threads of the web (Barghusen et al 1997). Like other theridiids, it also hunts prey, which breaks trapping threads with its own movement and is subsequently catapulted into the air or, more exactly, into the web, where both immobilization wrapping and the first contact between the spider and the prey occur.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wrap attack of the spider Achaearanea tepidariorum (Araneae: Theridiidae) by preying on mealybugs Planococcus citri (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

Hajer¹,

Hrubá²

2006

J Ethol

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Predation by Achaearanea tepidariorum (Koch 1841) on mealybugs Planococcus citri (Risso 1813) is facilitated by the design of its web, which features a tangle of sticky gumfooted lines, and wrap attacks as well as the ability to handle the prey, whose body is covered with a waxy secretion, via silk. Crawling, i.e., wingless, mealybugs (in particular those in the nymphal stages and adult females and, to a lesser extent, winged males) are caught by means of the gumfooted lines, covered with globules of an adhesive secretion. The process of wrap attack and subsequent handling of the captured prey is a series of the following consecutive events: (1) confining and immobilising the mealybugs with sticky silk; (2) biting with chelicerae and paralyzing the prey with a toxin; (3) detaching the confined prey, attached to the tense threads, from the plant surface and catapulting it toward the central section of the web; (4) wrapping the catapulted prey in viscid silk emitted by the spinning apparatus; (5) transporting the wrapped prey to the central section of the web; (6) wrapping the prey in the central section of the web in nonsticky silk, whose tufts are present in this part of the web even before the attack; (7) filling the prey with digestive fluid; (8) sucking the prey empty; and (9) cleaning the chelicerae and mouth parts. The process of silk tuft wrapping was described for the first time. The described ability to hunt mealybugs implies the possibility of using A. tepidariorum spiders for biological control of these pests.

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“…A. keyserlingi occurs along the east coast of Australia and is commonly found in urban habitats such as gardens and parks. As abiotic factors such as wind, temperature and relative humidity may influence web design in spiders (Barghusen et al 1997;Vollrath et al 1997) both experiments were performed under controlled laboratory conditions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of experience in web-building spiders (Araneidae)

Heiling¹,

Herberstein

1999

Animal Cognition

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A typical feature of vertical orb-webs is the 'top/bottom' asymmetry, where the lower web region is larger than the upper web region. This asymmetry may improve prey capture success, because, sitting in the hub of the web, a spider can reach prey entangled below the hub faster than prey entangled in the area above the hub. While web asymmetry is known to vary intraspecifically, we tested if this variation also exists at the individual level and whether it is the result of experience, using two orbweb spider species, Argiope keyserlingi and Larinioides sclopetarius. The results reveal that experienced webbuilding spiders constructed more asymmetric webs than conspecifics deprived of any prior building experience over a period of several months. Experienced individuals invested more silk material into the web region below the hub, which covered a larger area. Moreover, web asymmetry was also influenced by previous prey capture experiences, as spiders increased the lower region of the web if it intercepted the most prey over a period of 6 days. Consequently, spiders may be able to use long-term webbuilding experience as well as short-term prey capture experience to build better traps. In contrast to previous views of spiders, experience can contribute to intraspecific as well as to individual variations in web design.

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The effects of temperature on the web‐building behaviour of the common house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum

Cited by 33 publications

References 22 publications

A simulation-based method to compare the pest suppression potential of predators: A case study with spiders

A simulation-based method to compare the pest suppression potential of predators: A case study with spiders

Wrap attack of the spider Achaearanea tepidariorum (Araneae: Theridiidae) by preying on mealybugs Planococcus citri (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

The role of experience in web-building spiders (Araneidae)

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