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Foraging strategies in orb‐spinning spiders: Ambient light and silk decorations in Argiope aetherea Walckenaer (Araneae: Araneoidea)
Author(s) -
ELGAR M. A.,
ALLAN R. A.,
EVANS T. A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1996.tb00633.x
Subject(s) - silk , spider , orb (optics) , spider silk , biology , spinning , foraging , zoology , ecology , materials science , composite material , computer science , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
Many species of orb‐spinning spiders construct silk decorations within the structure of the orb‐web. The evolutionary significance of these decorations is poorly understood, but the silk decorations of many species reflect UV light, suggesting that they may function to attract insects. In these species, relatively more silk decoration may be required under dimmer light conditions in order to maintain a constant UV‐reflecting signal, and hence level of insect attraction. We investigated experimentally whether the orb‐spinning spider Argiope aetherea adjusts the amount of silk decoration added to the web according to light conditions. Consistent with the prey‐attracting function, we found that spiders adjusted the quantity of silk decoration to their webs, adding more silk decoration when the web was located in dim light rather than bright light.