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Angelakakis A, Turetzek N, Tuni C. Female mating rates and their fitness consequences in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9678. [PMID: 36590337 PMCID: PMC9797470 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating systems, with varying female mating rates occurring with the same partner (monandry) or with multiple mates (polyandry), can have far reaching consequences for population viability and the rate of gene flow. Here, we investigate the mating rates of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Theridiidae), an emerging model for genetic studies, with yet undescribed reproductive behavior. It is hypothesized that spiders belonging to this family have low re-mating rates. We paired females twice with the same male (monandry) or with different males (polyandry), and recorded behaviors, mating success and fitness resulting from single- and double-matings, either monandrous or polyandrous. Despite the study being explorative in nature, we predict successful matings to be more frequent during first encounters, to reduce female risk of remaining unmated. For re-mating to be adaptive, we expect higher fitness of double-mated females, and polyandrous females to experience highest mating success and fitness if reproductive gains are achieved by mating with multiple partners. We show that the majority of the females did not mate, and those that did mated only once, not necessarily on their first encounter. The likelihood of re-mating did not differ between monandrous and polyandrous encounters and female mating experience (mated once, twice monandrous, twice polyandrous) did not affect fitness, indicated by similar offspring production. Female twanging of the web leads to successful matings suggesting female behavioral receptivity. Cannibalism rates were low and mostly occurred pre-copulatory. We discuss how the species ecology, with potentially high mating costs for males and limited female receptivity, may shape a mating system with low mating rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Angelakakis
- Behavioral Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany,Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Cristina Tuni
- Behavioral Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
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2
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Bunch S, Wilgers DJ. Female mating status affects male mating tactic expression in the wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata. Curr Zool 2021; 68:121-127. [PMID: 35169635 PMCID: PMC8836339 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Males and females have conflicting interests on the frequency and outcomes of mating interactions. Males maximize their fitness by mating with as many females as possible, whereas choosy females often reduce receptivity following copulation. Alternative male mating tactics can be adaptive in their expression to a variety of mating contexts, including interactions with a relatively unreceptive mated female. Male Rabidosa punctulata wolf spiders can adopt distinctive mating tactics when interacting with a female, a complex courtship display, and/or a more coercive direct mount tactic that often involves grappling with females for copulation. In this study, we set up female mating treatments with initial trials and then paired mated and unmated females with males to observe both female remating frequencies and the male mating tactics used during the interactions. Males adopted different mating tactics depending on the mating status of the female they were paired with. Males were more likely to adopt a direct mount tactic with already-mated females and courtship with unmated females. Already-mated females were considerably less receptive to males during experimental trials, although they did remate 34% of the time, the majority of which were with males using a direct mount tactic. Whereas males adjusting to these contextual cues were able to gain more copulations, the observation of multiple mating in female R. punctulata introduces the potential for sperm competition. We discuss this sexual conflict in terms of the fitness consequences of these mating outcomes for both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Bunch
- Department of Natural Sciences, McPherson College, 1600 E. Euclid, McPherson, KS 67460, USA
| | - Dustin J Wilgers
- Department of Natural Sciences, McPherson College, 1600 E. Euclid, McPherson, KS 67460, USA
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3
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Wimp GM, Lewis D, Murphy SM. Prey identity but not prey quality affects spider performance. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:100013. [PMID: 36003602 PMCID: PMC9387502 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2021.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Prey identity affected the survival and body mass of a generalist spider predator. Trophic level of the prey did not affect spider survival and body mass. Prey identity and cordgrass quality had an interactive effect on spider body mass. Greater spider body mass led to greater egg production. In a literature review, female spider fitness increased with greater body size.
Increasing host plant quality affects higher trophic level predators, but whether such changes are simply a result of prey density or are also affected by changes in prey quality remain uncertain. Moreover, whether changes in prey quality affect measures of predator performance is understudied. Using a combination of field and greenhouse mesocosm experiments, we demonstrate that the survival and body size of a hunting spider (Pardosa littoralis Araneae: Lycosidae) is affected more by prey species identity than the trophic level of the prey. Furthermore, increasing host plant quality does not necessarily propagate through the food web by altering prey quality. While changes in plant quality affected spider body mass, they did so in opposite ways for spiders feeding on Prokelisia (Hemiptera: Delphacodes) herbivores relative to Tytthus (Hemiptera: Miridae) egg predators, and had no impact on spider body mass for two additional species of intraguild prey. These changes in body mass were important because greater body mass increased spider egg production. To examine the generality of this pattern, we reviewed the literature and found a consistent positive relationship between female body size and egg production for Pardosa species, indicating that body size is a reliable proxy for fitness. While many studies emphasize the importance of nitrogen to arthropod diets, this focus may be driven largely by our understanding of herbivore diets rather than predator diets. Thus, the positive impact of host plant quality on higher trophic level predators appears to be driven more by altering prey composition, density, and availability rather than simply providing predators with more nutritious prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M. Wimp
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Danny Lewis
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shannon M. Murphy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
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Tuni C, Schneider J, Uhl G, Herberstein ME. Sperm competition when transfer is dangerous. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200073. [PMID: 33070729 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive and cannibalistic female spiders can impose strong selection on male mating and fertilization strategies. Furthermore, the distinctive reproductive morphology of spiders is predicted to influence the outcome of sperm competition. Polyandry is common in spiders, leading to defensive male strategies that include guarding, plugging and self-sacrifice. Paternity patterns are highly variable and unlikely to be determined solely by mating order, but rather by relative copulation duration, deployment of plugs and cryptic female choice. The ability to strategically allocate sperm is limited, either by the need to refill pedipalps periodically or owing to permanent sperm depletion after mating. Further insights now rely on unravelling several proximate mechanisms such as the process of sperm activation and the role of seminal fluids. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Tuni
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Munich, Germany
| | - Jutta Schneider
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, Hamburg 20146 Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Bachstrasse 11/13, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia
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Shandilya A, Singh P, Mishra G, Omkar O. Cost of mating in male
Menochilus sexmaculatus
(Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva Shandilya
- Ladybird Research Laboratory Department of Zoology University of Lucknow Lucknow India
| | - Priya Singh
- Ladybird Research Laboratory Department of Zoology University of Lucknow Lucknow India
| | - Geetanjali Mishra
- Ladybird Research Laboratory Department of Zoology University of Lucknow Lucknow India
| | - Omkar Omkar
- Ladybird Research Laboratory Department of Zoology University of Lucknow Lucknow India
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Kiss B, Rádai Z, Toft S, Samu F. Sperm competition tactics shape paternity: adaptive role of extremely long copulations in a wolf spider. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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González M, Costa FG, Peretti AV. Different levels of polyandry in two populations of the funnel-web wolf spider Aglaoctenus lagotis from South America. J ETHOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-019-00606-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Wu Q, Wen L, Chen J, Li D, Jiao X. Experimental evidence for the genetic benefits of female mate choice in the monandrous wolf spider Pardosa astrigera. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Dubey A, Saxena S, Mishra G, Omkar. Mating experience influences mate choice and reproductive output in an aphidophagous ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus. ANIM BIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-17000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Information about mating status can be used to decide about whether to invest resources in mating with a particular partner. In the present study, we evaluated mate choice in relation to the mating experience of males and females of Menochilus sexmaculatus. We subjected both unmated and multiply mated males and females to different mate choice trials. The mating experience of the adults includes unmated, once-mated, twice-mated and multiply mated. The mate choice trials revealed that unmated adults were preferred over mated adults by both unmated and multiply mated partners. This preference for unmated partners also had consequences for mating behaviour and reproductive output. Unmated and multiply mated females commenced mating with unmated males earlier. In addition, unmated and multiply mated males invested more time in copula with unmated females. Moreover, females mated with unmated males were more fecund than those mated with previously mated males. This suggests that mating experience of mates may influence mating and reproductive behaviour in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Dubey
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
| | - Swati Saxena
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
| | - Geetanjali Mishra
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
| | - Omkar
- Ladybird Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007, India
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The role of silk in courtship and chemical communication of the false widow spider, Steatoda grossa (Araneae: Theridiidae). J ETHOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-017-0539-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Mating-induced sexual inhibition in the jumping spider Servaea incana (Araneae: Salticidae): A fast-acting and long-lasting effect. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184940. [PMID: 29045411 PMCID: PMC5646760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating-induced sexual inhibition has been studied extensively as an important facet of many insect mating systems but remains little understood in spiders. Once mated, females of many spider species become unreceptive and aggressive toward males, but the speed of onset and persistence of this effect are not known. Addressing this gap, the present study considers (1) mating tendency of virgins, latency to remating, and lifetime mating frequency and (2) how quickly sexual inhibition is expressed after the first mating in female Servaea incana jumping spiders. Encounters between males and females took place in two contexts that simulated locations where mating occurs in nature: in the light away from nests ('in the open') and in low light within the shelter of silken retreats ('at a retreat'). Virgin females exhibited high receptivity levels in both contexts but sexual inhibition was induced immediately after their first copulation. The most common tendency was for just one mating in a lifetime, and few females mated more than twice. Context also had an effect on female mating tendency, as virgin females in the open rejected more males before accepting their first mate than did virgin females in retreats. Considering only those females that did remate, females in the open tended to reject fewer males before remating. Given low levels of female remating, virgin females appear to be at a premium for male reproductive fitness in S. incana jumping spiders and this is a likely explanation for protandry found in nature.
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12
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Xiao R, Chen B, Wang Y, Lu M, Chen J, Li D, Yun Y, Jiao X. Silk-mediated male courtship effort in the monandrous wolf spider Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae). CHEMOECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-015-0196-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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