Title: SURVIVORSHIP OF WOLF SPIDERS (LYCOSIDAE ) REARED ON DIFFERENT DIET S
Abstract:Observations from previous studies have indicated that lycosid spiders often die before maturin g when raised on only one prey type. Two wolf spider species(Lycosa helluocollected from Florida, andLyc...Observations from previous studies have indicated that lycosid spiders often die before maturin g when raised on only one prey type. Two wolf spider species(Lycosa helluocollected from Florida, andLycosa sp. collected from Kentucky) were used to test the hypothesis that diet affects survivorship . Siblings from one egg sac of each species were divided into two groups of 50 spiderlings each, and reared under identical condition s with different diets . The polytypic diet consisted of crickets (Acheta domesticus), fly grubs (Sarcophaga bullata), cockroaches(Periplaneta americana), mealworms (Tenebrio molitor),beetles (Dermestes sp .), and an occasional supplemental orthopteran collected from the field . The monotypic diet consisted only of crickets (A. domesticus) . There was significantly lower survivorship of spiders raised on monotypic prey in both species, although the pattern of mortality over time varied between species. There were also significant differences in certain bod y size parameters (cephalothorax width, total leg I length, patella-tibia length) measured at maturity betwee n spiders raised on polytypic or monotypic diets in one species (L. helluo). In addition, Lycosa helluoraised on polytypic diets reached sexual maturity earlier than those reared on monotypic prey . These results suggest tha t there are fitness-related consequences of dietary breadth in spiders, and support the hypothesis of Greenston e (1979) that lycosids require a mixed diet.Read More
Publication Year: 1992
Publication Date: 1992-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 103
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot