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Stabilimenta of Philoponella vicina (Araneae: Uloboridae) and Gasteracantha cancriformis (Araneae: Araneidae): Evidence Against a Prey Attractant Function
Author(s) -
Eberhard William G.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00254.x
Subject(s) - camouflage , predation , spider , attraction , biology , mimicry , ecology , orb (optics) , zoology , philosophy , computer science , image (mathematics) , linguistics , artificial intelligence
Both the uloborid Philoponella vicina and the araneid Gasteracantha cancriformis spiders sometimes placed silk stabilimenta on non‐orb “resting webs” that consisted of only one or a few lines. These webs completely lacked sticky silk, so their stabilimenta could not function to attract prey. Some non‐orbs were built by spiders when their orb webs are damaged. These observations contradict the prey attraction camouflage hypothesis for stabilimentum function, but are compatible with the spider camouflage and web advertisement to avoid web destruction hypotheses.