Prey selection in a nocturnal web-building spider, Eriophora edax (Araneae Araneidae)
A field study was conducted to compare hourly captures by nocturnal adult female orb-web spiders (Eriophora edax) and the insect fauna collected at the same time, using a UV light trap. Predation of the spiders is related to the activity patterns of Lepidoptera, since this order of insects was the dominant prey type of E. edax. Also, E. edax showed a positive selection (Ivlev's index of electivity) for Lepidoptera, which means that the spiders showed a selective over-predation of this prey taxon from the pool of insect prey available in the habitat. Based on our results, we suggest that this spider's behaviour might represent an adaptation to the first step in the evolution of a spider-moth specialisation.
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Eriophora edax, Telarañas, Depredación, Lepidópteros, |
| Online Access: | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03949370.2011.582887#preview |
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| Summary: | A field study was conducted to compare hourly captures by nocturnal adult female orb-web spiders (Eriophora edax) and the insect fauna collected at the same time, using a UV light trap. Predation of the spiders is related to the activity patterns of Lepidoptera, since this order of insects was the dominant prey type of E. edax. Also, E. edax showed a positive selection (Ivlev's index of electivity) for Lepidoptera, which means that the spiders showed a selective over-predation of this prey taxon from the pool of insect prey available in the habitat. Based on our results, we suggest that this spider's behaviour might represent an adaptation to the first step in the evolution of a spider-moth specialisation. |
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