One spider a leaf: competition for web-sites in Nephila maculata spiderlings

[摘要] References(6)Cited-By(2)Spiderlings of the orb-weaver Nephila maculata frequently build webs on a large leaf surface such as Farfugium japonicum. In our observations and removal experiment, the spiderlings showed (1) uniform distribution with respect to leaves, i.e., one spider a leaf, (2) high preference for “deep” leaves which were limited, and (3) higher immigration rate onto leaves from which spiders were removed. These provide evidence of intraspecific competition for web-sites, a phenomenon rarely reported in orb-web spiders.

[学科分类] 动物科学