Winter ecology of spiders (Araneida)

Schaefer, Matthias

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.1977.tb02381.x

Cited by 67 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Low temperatures have been found to depress the pace of embryogenesis in certain insect species (Mansingh 1971, Schaefer 1977. It is possible that at the time of mating, an embryo was produced but development was arrested on entry into unfavorable conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Tolerances of the Spotted-Wing DrosophilaDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Ryan¹,

Emiljanowicz²,

Wilkinson³

et al. 2016

J Econ Entomol

112

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The spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura) is an invasive species of Asian origin that is now widely distributed in North America and Europe. Because of the female's serrated ovipositor, eggs are laid in preharvest fruit, causing large economic losses in cultivated berries and stone fruit. Modeling D. suzukii population dynamics and potential distribution will require information on its thermal tolerance. Large summer populations have been found in regions with severe winter conditions, though little is known about responses to prolonged low-temperature exposure. We used controlled chambers to examine D. suzukii fecundity, development rate, and mortality across a range of temperatures encompassing the upper and lower thresholds (5-35 • C). Optimal temperatures (T opt ) were found to be 28.2 • C for the development of the egg-to-adult stage, and 22.9 • C for reproductive output. No adult eclosion occurred below 8.1 • C (T lower ) or above 30.9 • C (T upper ). We also investigated survival outcomes following prolonged (42-d) low-temperature exposure to a simulated cold winter (−5, −3, −1, 1, 3, and 5 • C). Adult survival was dependent on temperature, with a mean LT 50 of 4.9 • C. There were no effects of sex, mating status, geographic strain, and photoperiod preexposure on overwintering survival. Thirty-eight percent of females that were mated prior, but not after, prolonged low-temperature exposure produced viable offspring, suggesting that this species may undergo sperm storage. This study provides data on the thermal tolerances of D. suzukii, which can be used for models of D. suzukii population dynamics, degree-day, and distribution models.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Tolerances of the Spotted-Wing DrosophilaDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Ryan¹,

Emiljanowicz²,

Wilkinson³

et al. 2016

J Econ Entomol

112

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“…In the limited number of spiders (Araneae) studied to date, all are documented as freeze-intolerant (Schaefer, 1977) and many are susceptible to mortality without freezing after prolonged cooling periods (Kirchner & Kestler, 1969;Schaefer, 1976;Danks, 1978;Lee et al, 1987). Consequently, spiders must supercool their body fluids to avoid the fatal formation of ice crystals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…These spiders characteristically exhibit opportunistic foraging during mild periods of winter (Huhta & Viramo, 1979;Aitchison, 1987;, which is not only necessary to meet the energy requirements of a higher metabolism but also provides an opportunity for growth (Aitchison, 1984). Despite reduced prey availability during winter, when predator diets typically consist of winter-active collembolans and dipterans (Aitchison, 1984;Nentwig, 1987;Eitzinger & Traugott, 2011;Jaskula & Soszynska-Maj, 2011), fewer competitors for these resources are present (Schaefer, 1977;Kirchner, 1987). Intraguild predation is still a mortality factor for some winter-active spiders (Gunnarsson, 1985;, but generally, if foraging is successful and winter growth achieved, there may be a competitive advantage to occupying this niche, because high levels of fitness favor spiders that mature quickly and are large (Gunnarsson, 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Spiders primarily overwinter in a state of diapause, but some species are winter-active and exhibit only temporary quiescence when temperatures fall below a given threshold (Schaefer, 1977). These spiders characteristically exhibit opportunistic foraging during mild periods of winter (Huhta & Viramo, 1979;Aitchison, 1987;, which is not only necessary to meet the energy requirements of a higher metabolism but also provides an opportunity for growth (Aitchison, 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As SCP depression is the result of an adaptive physiological change, this implies that spiders with low or moderate cold hardiness do not accumulate cryoprotectants. To compensate for their susceptibility to low temperatures, these spiders rely on behavioral adaptations, such as finding insulating hibernacula (Schaefer, 1977;Kirchner, 1987), which can be favorable given the high cost of cryoprotectant production (Duman et al, 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tradeoff in two winter‐active wolf spiders: increased mortality for increased growth

Whitney

Philip

Harwood

2014

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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A number of arthropods, including some spiders, forgo diapause as an overwintering strategy and are instead active at low temperatures. The higher metabolic rates and periodic foraging behavior associated with winter activity, however, can be incompatible with high levels of freeze avoidance. This is thought to be due, in part, to increased ice nucleators in the gut after feeding events and physiological complications brought on by accumulating certain cryoprotectants. To characterize the relationship between winter activity and cold hardiness, this study quantified the seasonal resistance to freezing in two common wolf spiders of hardwood forests in the eastern USA, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) and Schizocosa stridulans (Stratton) (Araneae: Lycosidae). Individual spiders were collected from a deciduous forest in Kentucky from August 2012 to March 2013 and were subjected to supercooling point (SCP) determination assays. Contrary to many invertebrates with high cold hardiness, mean SCP of S. ocreata and S. stridulans remained constant throughout the study, which we subsequently determined was their lower lethal temperature. Interestingly, daily low temperatures within the leaf litter occasionally fell below the mean SCP of the spiders, subjecting them to a significant risk of freezing during winter. To determine whether this high risk was a result of winter predation, we fed spiders varying quantities of prey, but found no significant association between consumption and SCP. Despite exposure to potentially lethal temperatures, Schizocosa did not seasonally augment their cold hardiness to better survive. This suggests an ecological tradeoff, where these spiders appear to assume increased mortality risk in exchange for maximized growth opportunity during a time of year when few competitors are active. We posit that the increased fitness benefits associated with early maturation and larger size in spring help to sustain these abundant spider populations.

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The effect of seabird presence and seasonality on ground‐active spider communities across temperate islands

Pascoe

Houghton²,

Jones

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Seabirds influence island ecosystems through nutrient additions and physical disturbance. These influences can have opposing effects on an island's invertebrate predator populations. Spiders (order: Araneae) are an important predator in many terrestrial island ecosystems, yet little is known about how seabird presence influences spider communities at the intraisland scale, or how they respond to seasonality in seabird colony attendance.We investigated the effects of seabird presence and seasonality on ground‐active spider community structure (activity‐density, family‐level richness, age class, and sex structure) and composition at the family‐level across five short‐tailed shearwater breeding islands around south‐eastern Tasmania, Australia. Using 75 pitfall traps (15 per island), spiders were collected inside, near, and outside seabird colonies on each island, at five different stages of the short‐tailed shearwater breeding cycle over a year. Pitfall traps were deployed for a total of 2674 days, capturing 1592 spiders from 26 families with Linyphiidae and Lycosidae the most common. Spider activity‐density was generally greater inside than outside seabird colonies, while family‐level richness was generally higher outside seabird colonies. For these islands, seabird breeding stage did not affect activity‐densities, but there were some seasonal changes in age class and sex structures with more adult males captured during winter. Our results provide some of the first insights into the spatial and temporal influences seabirds have on spider communities. We also provide some of the first records of spider family occurrences for south‐eastern Tasmanian islands, which will provide an important baseline for assessing future change.

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Winter ecology of spiders (Araneida)

Cited by 67 publications

References 18 publications

Thermal Tolerances of the Spotted-Wing DrosophilaDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Thermal Tolerances of the Spotted-Wing DrosophilaDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Tradeoff in two winter‐active wolf spiders: increased mortality for increased growth

The effect of seabird presence and seasonality on ground‐active spider communities across temperate islands

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