The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider
Studies on spiders in their natural habitats are necessary for determining the full range of plasticity in their web-building behaviour. Plasticity in web design is hypothesised to be important for spiders building in habitats where environmental conditions cause considerable web damage. Here we c...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Springer US
2017
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| _version_ | 1797073986187689984 |
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| author | Tew, N Hesselberg, T |
| author_facet | Tew, N Hesselberg, T |
| author_sort | Tew, N |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Studies on spiders in their natural habitats are necessary for determining the full range of plasticity in their web-building behaviour. Plasticity in web design is hypothesised to be important for spiders building in habitats where environmental conditions cause considerable web damage. Here we compared web characteristics of the orb spider Metellina mengei (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in two different forest habitats differing in their wind exposure. We found a notable lack of differences in web geometry, orientation and inclination between webs built along an exposed forest edge and those built inside the forest, despite marked differences in wind speed. This suggests that M. mengei did not exhibit web- building plasticity in response to wind in the field, contrasting with the findings of laboratory studies on other species of orb spiders. Instead, differences in prey capture and wind damage trade-offs between habitats may provide an explanation for our results, indicating that different species employ different strategies to cope with environmental constraints. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T23:29:48Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:6ba480a3-1365-4a8e-ad17-b3a955741d2d |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T23:29:48Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Springer US |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:6ba480a3-1365-4a8e-ad17-b3a955741d2d2022-03-26T19:05:20ZThe effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spiderJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:6ba480a3-1365-4a8e-ad17-b3a955741d2dSymplectic Elements at OxfordSpringer US2017Tew, NHesselberg, TStudies on spiders in their natural habitats are necessary for determining the full range of plasticity in their web-building behaviour. Plasticity in web design is hypothesised to be important for spiders building in habitats where environmental conditions cause considerable web damage. Here we compared web characteristics of the orb spider Metellina mengei (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in two different forest habitats differing in their wind exposure. We found a notable lack of differences in web geometry, orientation and inclination between webs built along an exposed forest edge and those built inside the forest, despite marked differences in wind speed. This suggests that M. mengei did not exhibit web- building plasticity in response to wind in the field, contrasting with the findings of laboratory studies on other species of orb spiders. Instead, differences in prey capture and wind damage trade-offs between habitats may provide an explanation for our results, indicating that different species employ different strategies to cope with environmental constraints. |
| spellingShingle | Tew, N Hesselberg, T The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| title | The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| title_full | The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| title_fullStr | The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| title_short | The effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| title_sort | effect of wind exposure on the web characteristics of a tetragnathid orb spider |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tewn theeffectofwindexposureonthewebcharacteristicsofatetragnathidorbspider AT hesselbergt theeffectofwindexposureonthewebcharacteristicsofatetragnathidorbspider AT tewn effectofwindexposureonthewebcharacteristicsofatetragnathidorbspider AT hesselbergt effectofwindexposureonthewebcharacteristicsofatetragnathidorbspider |