A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae)
<p>Studies on the behaviour of subterranean animals are rare, mainly due to the problems with collecting data in these inaccessible habitats. Web-building cave spiders, however, leave a semi-permanent record of their foraging behaviour, which can relatively easily be recorded. In this study, w...
| Автори: | , |
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| Формат: | Journal article |
| Опубліковано: |
Pensoft Publishers
2019
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| _version_ | 1826299251317014528 |
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| author | Hesselberg, T Simonsen, D |
| author_facet | Hesselberg, T Simonsen, D |
| author_sort | Hesselberg, T |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>Studies on the behaviour of subterranean animals are rare, mainly due to the problems with collecting data in these inaccessible habitats. Web-building cave spiders, however, leave a semi-permanent record of their foraging behaviour, which can relatively easily be recorded. In this study, we compare size, leg lengths and web characteristics between hypogean populations of <em>Metellina merianae</em> with its close wood-inhabiting relative <em>M. mengei</em>. We confirm previous observations that <em>M. merianae</em> does not show any obvious morphological and behavioural adaptions to a subterranean life-style, although individuals of the cave species were significantly larger and had webs with relatively fewer radii and capture spiral turns than <em>M. mengei</em>. We were, however, not able to determine if these findings indicate a transition towards behavioural adaptation to caves or if they are a result of behavioural flexibility in response to the different humidity and temperature between caves and woodland. Finally, we did not find any effect of cave characteristics on either the number of radii or the area of the <em>M. merianae</em> web.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:59:04Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:d7a2af27-2fd8-404a-8bb9-c2e0d038c92d |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:59:04Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:d7a2af27-2fd8-404a-8bb9-c2e0d038c92d2022-03-27T08:42:32ZA comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae)Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d7a2af27-2fd8-404a-8bb9-c2e0d038c92dSymplectic Elements at OxfordPensoft Publishers2019Hesselberg, TSimonsen, D<p>Studies on the behaviour of subterranean animals are rare, mainly due to the problems with collecting data in these inaccessible habitats. Web-building cave spiders, however, leave a semi-permanent record of their foraging behaviour, which can relatively easily be recorded. In this study, we compare size, leg lengths and web characteristics between hypogean populations of <em>Metellina merianae</em> with its close wood-inhabiting relative <em>M. mengei</em>. We confirm previous observations that <em>M. merianae</em> does not show any obvious morphological and behavioural adaptions to a subterranean life-style, although individuals of the cave species were significantly larger and had webs with relatively fewer radii and capture spiral turns than <em>M. mengei</em>. We were, however, not able to determine if these findings indicate a transition towards behavioural adaptation to caves or if they are a result of behavioural flexibility in response to the different humidity and temperature between caves and woodland. Finally, we did not find any effect of cave characteristics on either the number of radii or the area of the <em>M. merianae</em> web.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Hesselberg, T Simonsen, D A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae) |
| title | A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae) |
| title_full | A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae) |
| title_fullStr | A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae) |
| title_short | A comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of Metellina orb spiders (family Tetragnathidae) |
| title_sort | comparison of morphology and web geometry between hypogean and epigean species of metellina orb spiders family tetragnathidae |
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