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Behavioural responses of three linyphiid spiders to pitfall traps
Author(s) -
Topping C. J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/j.1570-7458.1993.tb01715.x
Subject(s) - pitfall trap , biology , spider , trap (plumbing) , ecology , zoology , predator , predation , abundance (ecology) , environmental engineering , engineering
The behaviour of three linyphiid spider species (Araneae: Linyhiidae) towards pitfall traps was investigated in an experimental arena. Capture efficiencies were low with a mean of between 16 and 57 traps being encountered before spiders were caught. Survival time, trap encounter rate, trap entry rate and reactions towards vegetation were all found to be species‐specific. These behaviours are considered to affect differentially pitfall trap efficiency and may partially explain the lack of clear relationship between pitfall trap catch and density found in published studies.