Response Strategies of Adult Male Schizocosa Crassipes (Araneae: Lycosidae) During Agonistic Interactions

This paper represents one of a series (Aspey, 1975a, b, 1976a,b,c) on the ethology and behavioral ecology of the brush-legged wolf spider Schizocosa crassipes (Walckenaer). Among lycosids, the adult males of this species are unusual in that they exhibit an elaborate and extensive behavioral repertoire during agonistic interactions (Aspey, 1976b). As immatures, the spiderlings exhibit a characteristic leg wave display that spaces conspecifics and presumably minimizes cannibalism (Aspey, 1975a). As adults, the males develop black foreleg brushes and exhibit the complex behaviors seen exclusively during adult male-male agonistic interactions. This display is primarily a visually-mediated communication system that preserves the personal space of adult males (Aspey, 1976c). These spiders are found in dense abundance among leaf litter at the forest-meadow interface, and share characteristics typical of "edge" species (Aspey, 1976a). Furthermore, males are more active than females, and in the natural habitat during a given oneminute observation period, an adult male is likely to encounter three males to one female. By exhibiting one or more of the foreleg movements and/or postures comprising the behavioral repertoire, certain males drive other males away from the female while remain-