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Bollinger E, Zubrod JP, Englert D, Graf N, Weisner O, Kolb S, Schäfer RB, Entling MH, Schulz R. The influence of season, hunting mode, and habitat specialization on riparian spiders as key predators in the aquatic-terrestrial linkage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22950. [PMID: 38135811 PMCID: PMC10746743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50420-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems subsidize riparian zones with high-quality nutrients via the emergence of aquatic insects. Spiders are dominant consumers of these insect subsidies. However, little is known about the variation of aquatic insect consumption across spiders of different hunting modes, habitat specializations, seasons, and systems. To explore this, we assembled a large stable isotope dataset (n > 1000) of aquatic versus terrestrial sources and six spider species over four points in time adjacent to a lotic and a lentic system. The spiders represent three hunting modes each consisting of a wetland specialist and a habitat generalist. We expected that specialists would feed more on aquatic prey than their generalist counterparts. Mixing models showed that spiders' diet consisted of 17-99% of aquatic sources, with no clear effect of habitat specialization. Averaged over the whole study period, web builders (WB) showed the highest proportions (78%) followed by ground hunters (GH, 42%) and vegetation hunters (VH, 31%). Consumption of aquatic prey was highest in June and August, which is most pronounced in GH and WBs, with the latter feeding almost entirely on aquatic sources during this period. Additionally, the elevated importance of high-quality lipids from aquatic origin during fall is indicated by elemental analyses pointing to an accumulation of lipids in October, which represent critical energy reserves during winter. Consequently, this study underlines the importance of aquatic prey irrespective of the habitat specialization of spiders. Furthermore, it suggests that energy flows vary substantially between spider hunting modes and seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Bollinger
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Jochen P Zubrod
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
- Zubrod Environmental Data Science, Ostring 24a, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Dominic Englert
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Nadin Graf
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Oliver Weisner
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kolb
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
- Eußerthal Ecosystem Research Station, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Birkenthalstraße 13, D-76857, Eußerthal, Germany
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2
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Chong H, Zhu Y, Lai Q, Wu S, Jiang T, Zhang D, Xiao H. Response of Spider and Epigaeic Beetle Assemblages to Overwinter Planting Regimes and Surrounding Landscape Compositions. INSECTS 2023; 14:951. [PMID: 38132624 PMCID: PMC10744018 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The rotation patterns of summer rice-winter oil seed rape and summer rice-winter fallow are the main planting regimes in the rice ecosystem in southern China. However, the impact of local rotation patterns and landscape factors on the overwintering conservation of predators in spider and epigaeic beetle assemblages remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the diversity and density of spiders and beetles over two consecutive winters (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), focusing on the impact of two rotation patterns (rice-fallow and rice-oilseed rape) and surrounding landscape compositions on predator diversity. The main findings of our research were that spiders were more abundant and had a higher activity density in the fallow rice fields (FRs) compared to the oilseed rape fields (OSRs), whereas ground beetles exhibited the opposite pattern. Specifically, fallow rice fields supported small and ballooning spiders (e.g., dominant spider: Ummeliata insecticeps), while OSRs supported larger ground beetles (e.g., dominant beetles: Agonum chalcomus and Pterostichus liodactylus). Moreover, the composition of spider assemblages were impacted by semi-natural habitats (SNHs) during overwintering, while ground beetle assemblages were influenced by overwinter planting patterns. Overall, our results suggest that different planting regimes and preserving semi-natural habitats are a strategic way to enhance species diversity and functional diversity of ground predators. It is, therefore, recommended that to conserve and improve predator diversity during overwintering, land managers and farmers should aim to maintain diverse planting regimes and conserve local semi-natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hainan Chong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
- Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (S.W.); (T.J.)
| | - Yulin Zhu
- Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (S.W.); (T.J.)
- Institute of Biological Resources, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330096, China
| | - Qian Lai
- Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (S.W.); (T.J.)
| | - Song Wu
- Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (S.W.); (T.J.)
| | - Ting Jiang
- Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (S.W.); (T.J.)
| | - Dandan Zhang
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Haijun Xiao
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
- Institute of Entomology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; (Y.Z.); (Q.L.); (S.W.); (T.J.)
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3
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Wildermuth B, Dönges C, Matevski D, Penanhoat A, Seifert CL, Seidel D, Scheu S, Schuldt A. Tree species identity, canopy structure and prey availability differentially affect canopy spider diversity and trophic composition. Oecologia 2023; 203:37-51. [PMID: 37709958 PMCID: PMC10615988 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05447-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Forest canopies maintain a high proportion of arthropod diversity. The drivers that structure these communities, however, are poorly understood. Therefore, integrative research connecting tree species identity and environmental stand properties with taxonomic and functional community composition of canopy arthropods is required. In this study, we investigated how the taxonomic, functional and trophic composition of arboreal spider communities is affected by tree species composition and associated differences in canopy structure and prey availability in temperate forests. We sampled canopy spiders as well as their potential prey using insecticidal fogging in monospecific and mixed stands of native European beech, native Norway spruce and non-native Douglas fir. Trophic metrics were obtained from stable isotope analysis and structural canopy properties were assessed with mobile laser scanning. Monospecific native spruce stands promoted local canopy spider abundance and diversity, but native beech and beech-conifer mixtures had the highest diversity at landscape scale. Spider community composition differed between monospecific stands, with broadleaf-conifer mixtures mitigating these differences. Irrespective of tree species identity, spider abundance, taxonomic diversity, functional richness and isotopic richness increased in structurally heterogeneous canopies with high prey abundances, but functional evenness and trophic divergence decreased. Our study shows that canopy spiders are differentially affected by tree species identity, canopy structure and prey availability. Broadleaf-conifer mixtures mitigated negative effects of (non-native) conifers, but positive mixture effects were only evident at the landscape scale. Structurally heterogeneous canopies promoted the dominance of only specific trait clusters. This indicates that intermediate heterogeneity might result in high stability of ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Wildermuth
- Department of Forest Nature Conservation, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Clemens Dönges
- Department of Forest Nature Conservation, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dragan Matevski
- Department of Forest Nature Conservation, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Animal Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Alice Penanhoat
- Department for Spatial Structures and Digitization of Forests, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carlo L Seifert
- Department of Forest Nature Conservation, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Seidel
- Department for Spatial Structures and Digitization of Forests, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- Animal Ecology Group, JF Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Schuldt
- Department of Forest Nature Conservation, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Müller J, Brandl R, Cadotte MW, Heibl C, Bässler C, Weiß I, Birkhofer K, Thorn S, Seibold S. A replicated study on the response of spider assemblages to regional and local processes. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstraße 5 Rauhenebrach Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2 Grafenau Germany
| | - Roland Brandl
- Department of Ecology ‐ Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology Philipps‐Universität Marburg, Karl‐von‐Frisch Str. 8 Marburg Germany
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto–Scarborough Toronto Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Canada
| | - Christoph Heibl
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2 Grafenau Germany
| | - Claus Bässler
- Conservation Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity Goethe‐University Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Ingmar Weiß
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2 Grafenau Germany
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus‐Senftenberg, Konrad‐Wachsmann Allee 6 Cottbus Germany
| | - Simon Thorn
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstraße 5 Rauhenebrach Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden Germany
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5
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Ganguly D, Adhya T. How fishing cats Prionailurus viverrinus Bennett, 1833 fish: describing a felid’s strategy to hunt aquatic prey. MAMMALIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2020-0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The fishing cat’s persistence in a ‘semi-aquatic niche’ suggests the evolution of a successful hunting strategy. We describe it for the first time by analysing 197 camera-trap video-clips, collected from a participatory-science initiative, within an ethogram framework. The cats spent ∼52% of the time sitting and waiting for prey (fishes) to come nearer and took limited attempts to hunt (3.89%) in deeper waters (in which the upper portions of the cat’s body were submerged), where its hunting success was found to be 42.86%. In shallow waters, it adopted a predominantly active mode of hunting (∼96%) to flush out prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyajyoti Ganguly
- Department of Zoology , Maulana Azad College, Calcutta University , 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd, Taltala , Kolkata , West Bengal 700013 , India
| | - Tiasa Adhya
- Centre for Conservation of Natural Resources, The University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology , 74/2, Post Attur via Yelahanka , Jarakabande Kaval , Bengaluru , Karnataka 560064 , India
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6
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Košulič O, Procházka J, Tuf IH, Michalko R. Intensive site preparation for reforestation wastes multi-trophic biodiversity potential in commercial oak woodlands. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 300:113741. [PMID: 34562820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Lowland oak forests host high biodiversity throughout Europe, and to maintain their high biodiversity potential we need to understand how current silviculture practices influence these ecosystems. The most common harvest approach in oak woodlands remains clear-cutting followed by site preparation for reforestation. The site preparation can vary in intensity and possibly affect forest biodiversity in various ways. We studied the impact of site preparation intensity on ground-dwelling arthropod predators and detritivores in commercial oak woodlands. The intensive management included mechanical site preparation with soil milling, stump removal, and herbicide application. The extensive management consisted of natural succession after reforestation with only such slight disturbances as regular hand-provided mowing of vegetation. We recorded 120 spider species, 92 species of ground beetles, 10 species of centipedes, 17 species of millipedes, and 7 species of woodlice, including a relatively large number of threatened species. We found that intensive post-logging management strongly homogenized the habitat structure, and this led to low multi-trophic taxonomic and functional diversity in comparison to that under extensive management. At sites with extensive management, there was not only high functional diversity but also high functional redundancy. Species of conservation concern almost vanished from clearings under intensive management. The high multi-trophic diversity and functional redundancy indicate that extensive site preparation may enhance ecosystem multi-functionality, including primary productivity and ecosystem resilience. Extensive post-harvest management is therefore strongly preferable, and it is also economically more feasible. Intensive post-harvest management should be prohibited in lowland forests within transition zones to localities under nature protection or in natural oak forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Košulič
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Procházka
- Silva Tarouca Research Institute, Lidická 25/27, Brno, 60200, Czech Republic; Moravian Museum, Zelný Trh 6, Brno, 60200, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan H Tuf
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, 77900, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Michalko
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic
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7
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Hambäck P, Cirtwill A, García D, Grudzinska-Sterno M, Miñarro M, Tasin M, Yang X, Samnegård U. More intraguild prey than pest species in arachnid diets may compromise biological control in apple orchards. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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8
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Pekár S, Wolff JO, Černecká Ľ, Birkhofer K, Mammola S, Lowe EC, Fukushima CS, Herberstein ME, Kučera A, Buzatto BA, Djoudi EA, Domenech M, Enciso AV, Piñanez Espejo YMG, Febles S, García LF, Gonçalves-Souza T, Isaia M, Lafage D, Líznarová E, Macías-Hernández N, Magalhães I, Malumbres-Olarte J, Michálek O, Michalik P, Michalko R, Milano F, Munévar A, Nentwig W, Nicolosi G, Painting CJ, Pétillon J, Piano E, Privet K, Ramírez MJ, Ramos C, Řezáč M, Ridel A, Růžička V, Santos I, Sentenská L, Walker L, Wierucka K, Zurita GA, Cardoso P. The World Spider Trait database: a centralized global open repository for curated data on spider traits. Database (Oxford) 2021; 2021:baab064. [PMID: 34651181 PMCID: PMC8517500 DOI: 10.1093/database/baab064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Spiders are a highly diversified group of arthropods and play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems as ubiquitous predators, which makes them a suitable group to test a variety of eco-evolutionary hypotheses. For this purpose, knowledge of a diverse range of species traits is required. Until now, data on spider traits have been scattered across thousands of publications produced for over two centuries and written in diverse languages. To facilitate access to such data, we developed an online database for archiving and accessing spider traits at a global scale. The database has been designed to accommodate a great variety of traits (e.g. ecological, behavioural and morphological) measured at individual, species or higher taxonomic levels. Records are accompanied by extensive metadata (e.g. location and method). The database is curated by an expert team, regularly updated and open to any user. A future goal of the growing database is to include all published and unpublished data on spider traits provided by experts worldwide and to facilitate broad cross-taxon assays in functional ecology and comparative biology. Database URL:https://spidertraits.sci.muni.cz/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 611 37, Czechia
| | - Jonas O Wolff
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, Greifswald 17489, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 6 Wally’s Walk, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ľudmila Černecká
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, Ľ. Štúra 2, Zvolen 960 01, Slovak Republic
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, Cottbus 03046, Germany
| | - Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza 28922, Italy
| | - Elizabeth C Lowe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 6 Wally’s Walk, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Caroline S Fukushima
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 6 Wally’s Walk, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Adam Kučera
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 611 37, Czechia
| | - Bruno A Buzatto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 6 Wally’s Walk, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - El Aziz Djoudi
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, Cottbus 03046, Germany
| | - Marc Domenech
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | | | | | - Sara Febles
- Grupo de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Tenerife (GIET), C/ San Eulogio 15, 1º, La Laguna, Canary Islands 38108, Spain
| | - Luis F García
- Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Ruta 8 Km 282, Treinta y Tres, Uruguay
| | - Thiago Gonçalves-Souza
- Department of Biology, Ecological Synthesis and Biodiversity Conservation Lab, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos—CEP, Recife, PE 50710-270, Brazil
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Denis Lafage
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, Université de Rennes 1, 263 Avenue du General Leclerc, Rennes 35042, France
| | - Eva Líznarová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 611 37, Czechia
| | - Nuria Macías-Hernández
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y Geología, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife 38206, Spain
| | - Ivan Magalhães
- Division of Arachnology, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’—CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires C1405DJR, Argentina
| | - Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00014, Finland
- CE3C—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Ondřej Michálek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 611 37, Czechia
| | - Peter Michalik
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Radek Michalko
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Filippo Milano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Ana Munévar
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical (UNAM-CONICET), Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
| | - Wolfgang Nentwig
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Nicolosi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Christina J Painting
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Julien Pétillon
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, Université de Rennes 1, 263 Avenue du General Leclerc, Rennes 35042, France
| | - Elena Piano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, Turin 10123, Italy
| | - Kaïna Privet
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, Université de Rennes 1, 263 Avenue du General Leclerc, Rennes 35042, France
| | - Martín J Ramírez
- Division of Arachnology, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’—CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires C1405DJR, Argentina
| | - Cândida Ramos
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Milan Řezáč
- Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, Prague 6 CZ-16106, Czechia
| | - Aurélien Ridel
- UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, Université de Rennes 1, 263 Avenue du General Leclerc, Rennes 35042, France
| | - Vlastimil Růžička
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice 370 05, Czechia
| | - Irene Santos
- Grupo de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Tenerife (GIET), C/ San Eulogio 15, 1º, La Laguna, Canary Islands 38108, Spain
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
| | - Lenka Sentenská
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 611 37, Czechia
| | - Leilani Walker
- Natural Sciences, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Parnell, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Kaja Wierucka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 6 Wally’s Walk, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
| | | | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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9
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Michalko R, Birkhofer K, Pekár S. Interaction between hunting strategy, habitat type and stratum drive intraguild predation and cannibalism. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Radek Michalko
- Dept of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel Univ. in Brno Brno Czech Republic
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Dept of Ecology, Brandenburg Univ. of Technology Cottbus Germany
| | - Stano Pekár
- Dept of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk Univ. Brno Czech Republic
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10
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Nève de Mévergnies T, Chailleux A, Detrain C. The African weaver ant has no negative impact on spiders in mango orchards of Senegal. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Nève de Mévergnies
- Biopass Cirad‐ISRA‐UCAD‐IRD Dakar Senegal
- Unit of Social Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
| | - Anaïs Chailleux
- Biopass Cirad‐ISRA‐UCAD‐IRD Dakar Senegal
- Cirad UPR HortSys Dakar Senegal
- Cirad Univ. Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Claire Detrain
- Unit of Social Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
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11
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Saqib HSA, Liang P, You M, Gurr GM. Molecular gut content analysis indicates the inter- and intra-guild predation patterns of spiders in conventionally managed vegetable fields. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9543-9552. [PMID: 34306641 PMCID: PMC8293772 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter- and intra-guild interactions are important in the coexistence of predators and their prey, especially in highly disturbed vegetable cropping systems with sporadic food resources. Assessing the dietary range of a predator taxon characterized by diverse foraging behavior using conventional approaches, such as visual observation and conventional molecular approaches for prey detection, has serious logistical problems. In this study, we assessed the prey compositions and compare the dietary spectrum of a functionally diverge group of predators-spiders-to characterize their trophic interactions and assess biological control potential in Brassica vegetable fields. We used high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and biotic interaction networks to precisely annotate the predation spectrum and highlight the predator-predator and predator-prey interactions. The prey taxa in the gut of all spider families were mainly enriched with insects (including dipterans, coleopterans, orthopterans, hemipterans, and lepidopterans) with lower proportions of arachnids (such as Araneae) along with a wide range of other prey factions. Despite the generalist foraging behavior of spiders, the community structure analysis and interaction networks highlighted the overrepresentation of particular prey taxa in the gut of each spider family, as well as showing the extent of interfamily predation by spiders. Identifying the diverse trophic niche proportions underpins the importance of spiders as predators of pests in highly disturbed agroecosystems. More specifically, combining HTS with advanced ecological community analysis reveals the preferences and biological control potential of particular spider taxa (such as Salticidae against lepidopterans and Pisauridae against dipterans), and so provides a valuable evidence base for targeted conservation biological control efforts in complex trophic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafiz Sohaib Ahmed Saqib
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan CropsFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest ControlMinistry of EducationFuzhouChina
- Institute of Applied EcologyFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Pingping Liang
- College of the Environment and EcologyXiamen UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Minsheng You
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan CropsFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest ControlMinistry of EducationFuzhouChina
- Institute of Applied EcologyFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian‐Taiwan CropsMinistry of AgricultureFuzhouChina
| | - Geoff M. Gurr
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan CropsFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest ControlMinistry of EducationFuzhouChina
- Institute of Applied EcologyFujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
- Graham CentreCharles Sturt UniversityOrangeNSWAustralia
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12
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Michalko R, Košulič O, Martinek P, Birkhofer K. Disturbance by invasive pathogenic fungus alters arthropod predator-prey food-webs in ash plantations. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2213-2226. [PMID: 34013522 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
According to the disturbance-succession theory, natural disturbances support biodiversity and are expected to increase the complexity of food-webs in forest ecosystems by opening canopies and creating a heterogeneous environment. However, a limited number of studies have investigated the impact of disturbance by invasive pathogenic species and succession on arthropod predator-prey food-webs in forest ecosystems. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus is a pathogenic fungus of ash trees that is invasive in Europe and causes massive dieback, mainly of the common ash Fraxinus excelsior across its native range. Here we investigated how this pathogenic fungus affects food-webs of web-building spiders and their prey in understorey vegetation of ash plantations. In 23 young and middle-aged ash plantations that were distributed along a gradient of infestation by H. fraxineus (29%-86% infestation), we measured the vegetation structure (canopy openness, shrub coverage, herb/grass coverage), the trait composition of local spider communities (web type, body size), the prey availability and the prey intercepted by spider webs. We then evaluated the multivariate prey composition (prey type, body size) and network properties. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus opened the ash tree canopy, which resulted in denser shrub coverage. The dense shrub vegetation changed the composition of web types in local spider communities and increasing fungus infestation resulted in reduced mean body size of spiders. Infestation by H. fraxineus reduced the availability of predaceous Coleoptera and increased the availability of herbivorous Coleoptera as potential prey. The mean body size of captured prey and the per capita capture rates of most prey groups decreased with increasing fungus infestation. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus infestation indirectly reduced the complexity in bipartite networks and the trophic functional complementarity in local web-building spider communities. The plantation age affected the vegetation structure but did not affect the studied food-webs. Forest disturbance by the invasive pathogen affected four trophic levels (plant-herbivore-coleopteran intermediate predator-top predator web-building spiders) and, contrary to the disturbance-succession theory, disturbance by the fungus simplified the web-building spider-prey food-webs. The results support the view that H. fraxineus represents a threat to the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the simplified ecosystems of ash plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Michalko
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Košulič
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Martinek
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany
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13
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Hannappel MP, Chumchal MM, Drenner RW, Kennedy JH, Barst BD, Castellini JM, Nolan AR, Willoughby FM, Trauffler LP. Effect of Body Size on Methylmercury Concentrations in Shoreline Spiders: Implications for Their Use as Sentinels. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:1149-1154. [PMID: 33315274 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Shoreline spiders have been proposed as sentinels to monitor aquatic contaminants including methylmercury (MeHg). The present study examined the effect of spider body size on MeHg concentrations in shoreline spiders. We collected 6 taxa of spiders belonging to 4 families (orb-weavers [Araneidae], long-jawed orb weavers [Tetragnathidae: Tetragnatha sp.], jumping spiders [Salticidae], and wolf spiders [Lycosidae: Pardosa sp., Rabidosa sp., and Schizocosa sp.]) from the shorelines of 14 human-made ponds at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands in north Texas (USA). As a proxy for body size, we measured leg length (tibia + patella) of each spider. Spider taxa differed by 3-fold in mean MeHg concentration, and MeHg concentrations in 4 of 6 spider taxa increased significantly with leg length. The present study is the first to demonstrate that shoreline spider MeHg concentrations increase as a function of spider body size. Because spider size may account for some within-taxa variation in MeHg concentrations, future studies that utilize spiders as sentinels of aquatic contamination by MeHg or other biomagnifying contaminants should take spider size into account. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1149-1154. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew M Chumchal
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Ray W Drenner
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - James H Kennedy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Benjamin D Barst
- Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Audrey R Nolan
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | | | - Lexton P Trauffler
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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14
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Michalko R, Košulič O, Wongprom P, Songsangchote C, Saksongmuang V, Trisurat Y. Reforestations of Tropical Forests Alter Interactions Between Web-Building Spiders and Their Prey. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00627-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Fulgence TR, Martin DA, Kreft H, Ratsoavina FM, Andrianarimisa A. Spider traps amphibian in northeastern Madagascar. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:682-687. [PMID: 33520157 PMCID: PMC7820146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation can take unexpected turns. For instance, various invertebrate species-most commonly spiders-may prey on vertebrates. Here, we report one observation of a spider (Sparassidae, Damastes sp.) feeding on an amphibian (Hyperoliidae, Heterixalus andrakata) inside a retreat in northeastern Madagascar. To our knowledge, this is the second report of vertebrate predation by spiders in Madagascar. Three additional observations of retreats built by the same spider species show that the spiders built similar retreats and were hiding at the rear end of the retreat. The retreats were built by weaving two green leaves together which were still attached to the tree. We speculate from the observations, that the retreat serves as a targeted trap that deceives frogs seeking shelter during daytime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thio Rosin Fulgence
- Natural and Environmental SciencesRegional University Centre of the SAVA Region (CURSA)AntalahaMadagascar
- Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of AntananarivoAntananarivoMadagascar
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and BiogeographyUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | | | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and BiogeographyUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL)University of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | | | - Aristide Andrianarimisa
- Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of AntananarivoAntananarivoMadagascar
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16
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Peng MH, Hung YC, Liu KL, Neoh KB. Landscape configuration and habitat complexity shape arthropod assemblage in urban parks. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16043. [PMID: 32994537 PMCID: PMC7525568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The urbanization process systematically leads to the loss of biodiversity. Only certain arthropods are resilient to the urbanization process and can thrive in the novel conditions of urbanized landscapes. However, the degree to which arthropod communities survive in urban habitats depends on landscape and local effects and biological interactions (e.g., trophic interactions). In the present study, we examined the relative importance of various factors at landscape (isolation, edge density and area of surrounding greenery) and local (size of park, canopy cover, understory vegetation cover, defoliation depth, weight of dried leaves, soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil pH) spatial scales on the diversity of ants, beetles and spiders in urban parks. Our results indicated that park edge density was negatively correlated with diversity metrics in ants, beetles, and spiders in urban parks relative to the degree of proximity with the peri-urban forest. In other words, parks that located adjacent to the peri-urban forest may not necessarily have high biodiversity. The results suggested that man-made structures have been effective dispersal barriers that limit the spillover effects of ants and spiders but not the spillover of comparatively strong fliers, such as beetles. However, the area of surrounding greenery may have facilitated the colonization of forest-dependent taxa in distant parks. Large parks with reduced edge density supported a higher arthropod diversity because of the minimal edge effect and increased habitat heterogeneity. Vegetation structure consistently explained the variability of ants, beetles, and spiders, indicating that understory plant litter is crucial for providing shelters and hibernation, oviposition, and foraging sites for the major taxa in urban parks. Therefore, efforts should focus on the local management of ground features to maximize the conservation of biological control in urban landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hsiao Peng
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145, Xingda Rd. South District, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yuan-Chen Hung
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145, Xingda Rd. South District, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kuan-Ling Liu
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145, Xingda Rd. South District, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kok-Boon Neoh
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145, Xingda Rd. South District, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC.
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17
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Mezőfi L, Markó G, Nagy C, Korányi D, Markó V. Beyond polyphagy and opportunism: natural prey of hunting spiders in the canopy of apple trees. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9334. [PMID: 32596048 PMCID: PMC7307562 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders (Araneae) form abundant and diverse assemblages in agroecosystems such as fruit orchards, and thus might have an important role as natural enemies of orchard pests. Although spiders are polyphagous and opportunistic predators in general, limited information exists on their natural prey at both species and community levels. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the natural prey (realized trophic niche) of arboreal hunting spiders, their role in trophic webs and their biological control potential with direct observation of predation events in apple orchards. Hunting spiders with prey in their chelicerae were collected in the canopy of apple trees in organic apple orchards in Hungary during the growing seasons between 2013 and 2019 and both spiders and their prey were identified and measured. Among others, the composition of the actual (captured by spiders) and the potential (available in the canopy) prey was compared, trophic niche and food web metrics were calculated, and some morphological, dimensional data of the spider-prey pairs were analyzed. Species-specific differences in prey composition or pest control ability were also discussed. By analyzing a total of 878 prey items captured by spiders, we concluded that arboreal hunting spiders forage selectively and consume a large number of apple pests; however, spiders’ beneficial effects are greatly reduced by their high levels of intraguild predation and by a propensity to switch from pests to alternative prey. In this study, arboreal hunting spiders showed negative selectivity for pests, no selectivity for natural enemies and positive selectivity for neutral species. In the trophic web, the dominant hunting spider taxa/groups (Carrhotus xanthogramma, Philodromus cespitum, Clubiona spp., Ebrechtella tricuspidata, Xysticus spp. and ‘Other salticids’) exhibit different levels of predation on different prey groups and the trophic web’s structure changes depending on the time of year. Hunting spiders show a high functional redundancy in their predation, but contrary to their polyphagous nature, the examined spider taxa showed differences in their natural diet, exhibited a certain degree of prey specialization and selected prey by size and taxonomic identity. Guilds (such as stalkers, ambushers and foliage runners) did not consistently predict either prey composition or predation selectivity of arboreal hunting spider species. From the economic standpoint, Ph. cespitum and Clubiona spp. were found to be the most effective natural enemies of apple pests, especially of aphids. Finally, the trophic niche width of C. xanthogramma and Ph. cespitum increased during ontogeny, resulting in a shift in their predation. These results demonstrate how specific generalist predators can differ from each other in aspects of their predation ecology even within a relatively narrow taxonomic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Mezőfi
- Department of Entomology, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Markó
- Department of Plant Pathology, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary.,Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Nagy
- Research Institute for Fruitgrowing and Ornamentals, National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre, Újfehértó, Hungary
| | - Dávid Korányi
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary.,GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Viktor Markó
- Department of Entomology, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
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18
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Ingle K, Kaur H, Gallé-Szpisjak N, Bürgés J, Szabó Á, Gallé R. Winter-Active Spider Fauna is Affected by Plantation Forest Type. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:601-606. [PMID: 32159751 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plantations of non-native trees for commercial use are common practice in Europe. They are known to have severe ecological impacts on arthropod fauna by altering microclimatic conditions and reducing microhabitat diversity. However, the effect of plantation tree species on winter-active fauna is relatively unknown. Spiders are a diverse predatory arthropod taxon with strong effect on their prey populations. The composition of spider communities sensitively indicates changes in habitat structure. We established 40 sampling sites in five non-native pine and five native poplar plantations and collected spiders with pitfall traps for two winters in the Southern part of Hungary. We assessed the average height of vegetation and percentage cover of leaf litter, mosses, herbaceous vegetation, and shrubs to characterize habitat structure. We found species richness and activity density of spiders in the non-native compared to the native plantations, presumably due to the more temperate microclimate in pine than in poplar plantations. However, there was no significant effect of habitat structure and its interaction with forest type on species richness and activity density of spiders. Species composition of non-native and native plantation forests differed significantly. Furthermore, we identified six characteristic spider species of non-native plantations with preference for relatively moist habitat conditions. The single characteristic species, (Agroeca cuprea Menge, 1873) for the native plantations preferred dry and partly shaded habitats. We conclude that the effect of microclimatic differences and prey availability presumably overrides the effect of habitat structure on winter-active spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kapilkumar Ingle
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Hardeep Kaur
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Szeged, Hungary
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Nikolett Gallé-Szpisjak
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, Klebelsberg Kuno utca 3, ihany, Hungary
| | - József Bürgés
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Áron Szabó
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Róbert Gallé
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
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19
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The dynamics of prey selection by the trap-building predator Gasteracantha hasselti. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467420000024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPrey selection by generalist predators can be highly dynamic depending on the prey community structure. However, the dynamics of prey selection at the stage of prey entrapping are rarely investigated in trap-building predators, probably because their traps have been previously considered to intercept mobile prey proportionally to its availability in environment. Here we investigated the dynamics of prey selection by the orb-weaving spider Gasteracantha hasselti (Araneidae) depending on the composition of the available prey in tropical lowland forests located in north-eastern Thailand. We found that Gasteracantha captured a wide variety of prey but selected, on average, mostly Coleoptera and Diptera. The selectivity of Gasteracantha’s webs for Coleoptera was constant across the changes in overall prey availability and prey composition. The web selectivity for Hemiptera decreased rapidly with increasing relative densities of Hemiptera in the environment. The selectivity for Diptera and Hymenoptera increased and decreased, respectively, with their absolute densities in the environment. The relative selectivity of Gasteracantha’s traps for a particular prey type was driven by the presence and density of the highly selected prey rather than overall prey density. The results show that the selectivity of Gasteracantha’s traps for prey had both fixed and dynamic components and the dynamic component was determined by the relative as well as absolute densities of the particular prey types in the environment.
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20
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Arvidsson F, Addison P, Addison M, Haddad CR, Birkhofer K. Weed species, not mulching, affect web‐building spiders and their prey in organic fruit orchards in South Africa. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- F. Arvidsson
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Konrad‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
| | - P. Addison
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Faculty of AgriSciences Stellenbosch University JS Marais Building Victoria Street Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa
| | - M. Addison
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Faculty of AgriSciences Stellenbosch University JS Marais Building Victoria Street Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa
| | - C. R. Haddad
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of the Free State P.O. Box 339 Bloemfontein 9300 South Africa
| | - K. Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Konrad‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
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21
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A Guild-Based Protocol to Target Potential Natural Enemies of Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), a Vector of Xylella fastidiosa (Xanthomonadaceae): A Case Study with Spiders in the Olive Grove. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11020100. [PMID: 32028603 PMCID: PMC7074277 DOI: 10.3390/insects11020100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The olive grove is a key landscape across the Mediterranean basin. This agroecosystem is threatened by Xylella fastidiosa, the causal agent of the olive tree quick decline syndrome, Philaenus spumarius being the main vector. A way to limit pest populations relies on the use of biological control agents such as arthropods. Among them, spiders are generalist predators with different hunting strategies that feed mostly on insects and can contribute to limit pests. In this work, field and laboratory data were used to provide a protocol aiming to facilitate the selection of species of spiders among different guilds that could represent potential natural enemies of P. spumarius. Sampling of spiders was conducted in olive groves in northeastern Portugal. Two species, namely the orb-weaver Araniella cucurbitina and the ambusher Synema globosum, were selected according to the dominant guilds of spiders inhabiting the olive crop. We tested the differences of potential predatory efficiency using classical functional response tests with P. spumarius as prey. A type-II functional response was found for A. cucurbitina, whereas a type-I response was found for S. globosum. This difference uncovers a different potential efficiency among the two species as natural enemies of P. spumarius with relevant implications at high prey density in the field. A conceptual workflow to follow the fieldwork and selection of species for further work (i.e., laboratory assays) is provided and discussed. Standardized methods regarding the assessment of the suitability and efficiency of potential natural enemies are essential for the integration of results at different geographical extents and crops. Selecting functional counterparts such as different species of predators occurring at different locations that use the same prey (e.g., a pest) in the same way (e.g., hunting strategy) would facilitate developing biological control schemes.
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22
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Ortega-Rodriguez CL, Chumchal MM, Drenner RW, Kennedy JH, Nowlin WH, Barst BD, Polk DK, Hall MN, Williams EB, Lauck KC, Santa-Rios A, Basu N. Relationship Between Methylmercury Contamination and Proportion of Aquatic and Terrestrial Prey in Diets of Shoreline Spiders. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:2503-2508. [PMID: 31441959 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial organisms such as shoreline spiders that consume prey from aquatic food webs can be contaminated with methylmercury (MeHg). However, no studies have examined the relationship between MeHg contamination of shoreline spider taxa and the proportion of aquatic and terrestrial prey in their diets. The present study had 2 objectives: 1) determine concentrations of MeHg in 7 taxa of shoreline spiders, and 2) assess the relationship between concentrations of MeHg in spiders and the proportion of aquatic and terrestrial prey in spider diets. We collected shoreline spiders, emergent aquatic insects, and terrestrial insects from in and around 10 experimental ponds. Methylmercury concentrations were greatest in spiders, intermediate in aquatic insects, and lowest in terrestrial insects. The elevated MeHg concentrations in spiders indicate that they were feeding, at least in part, on emergent aquatic insects. However, variability in MeHg concentration observed among spider taxa suggested that the proportion of aquatic and terrestrial prey in spider diets likely varied among taxa. We estimated the proportion of aquatic and terrestrial prey in the diet of each spider taxon from the nitrogen (δ15 N) and carbon (δ13 C) isotope values of spiders and their potential aquatic and terrestrial prey items. The median proportion of aquatic prey in spider diets varied by almost 2-fold, and MeHg concentrations in shoreline spiders were strongly correlated with the proportion of aquatic prey in their diet. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that the degree of connectivity to aquatic food webs determines MeHg contamination of shoreline spiders. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2503-2508. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew M Chumchal
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Ray W Drenner
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - James H Kennedy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Weston H Nowlin
- Aquatic Station, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Benjamin D Barst
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - D Kirkland Polk
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - MacGregor N Hall
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Edward B Williams
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Kyle C Lauck
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Andrea Santa-Rios
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Niladri Basu
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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23
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Mumma MA, Bastille-Rousseau G, Gullage SE, Soulliere CE, Mahoney SP, Waits LP. Intrinsic traits of woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou calves depredated by black bears Ursus americanus and coyotes Canis latrans. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Mumma
- M. A. Mumma (http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1954-6524) , Ecosystem Science and Management, Univ. of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- G. Bastille-Rousseau, Dept of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Steve E. Gullage
- S. E. Gullage and S. P. Mahoney, Conservation Visions, LLC, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Colleen E. Soulliere
- C. E. Soulliere, Dept of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Shane P. Mahoney
- S. E. Gullage and S. P. Mahoney, Conservation Visions, LLC, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- L. P. Waits, Dept of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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24
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Michalko R, Pekár S, Entling MH. An updated perspective on spiders as generalist predators in biological control. Oecologia 2018; 189:21-36. [PMID: 30535723 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4313-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of generalist predators in biological control remains controversial as they may not only reduce pest populations but also disrupt biocontrol exerted by other natural enemies. Here, we focus on spiders as a model group of generalist predators. They are among the most abundant and most diverse natural enemies in agroecosystems. We review their functional traits that influence food-web dynamics and pest suppression at organisational levels ranging from individuals to communities. At the individual and population levels, we focus on hunting strategy, body size, life stage, nutritional target, and personality (i.e., consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour). These functional traits determine the spider trophic niches. We also focus on the functional and numerical response to pest densities and on non-consumptive effects of spiders on pests. At the community level, we review multiple-predator effects and effect of alternative prey on pest suppression. Evidence for a key role of spiders in pest suppression is accumulating. Importantly, recent research has highlighted widespread non-consumptive effects and complex intraguild interactions of spiders. A better understanding of these effects is needed to optimize biocontrol services by spiders in agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Michalko
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin H Entling
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau/Pfalz, Germany
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25
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Greenop A, Woodcock BA, Wilby A, Cook SM, Pywell RF. Functional diversity positively affects prey suppression by invertebrate predators: a meta-analysis. Ecology 2018; 99:1771-1782. [PMID: 29727489 PMCID: PMC6099248 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The use of pesticides within agricultural ecosystems has led to wide concern regarding negative effects on the environment. One possible alternative is the use of predators of pest species that naturally occur within agricultural ecosystems. However, the mechanistic basis for how species can be manipulated in order to maximize pest control remains unclear. We carried out a meta‐analysis of 51 studies that manipulated predator species richness in reference to suppression of herbivore prey to determine which components of predator diversity affect pest control. Overall, functional diversity (FD) based on predator's habitat domain, diet breadth and hunting strategy was ranked as the most important variable. Our analysis showed that increases in FD in polycultures led to greater prey suppression compared to both the mean of the component predator species, and the most effective predator species, in monocultures. Further analysis of individual traits indicated these effects are likely to be driven by broad niche differentiation and greater resource exploitation in functionally diverse predator communities. A decoupled measure of phylogenetic diversity, whereby the overlap in variation with FD was removed, was not found to be an important driver of prey suppression. Our results suggest that increasing FD in predatory invertebrates will help maximize pest control ecosystem services in agricultural ecosystems, with the potential to increase suppression above that of the most effective predator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran Greenop
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.,Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Ben A Woodcock
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Andy Wilby
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Samantha M Cook
- Biointeractions and Crop Protection Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Richard F Pywell
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK
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26
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Top predator’s aggressiveness and mesopredator’s risk-aversion additively determine probability of predation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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27
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Shao L, Li S. Early Cretaceous greenhouse pumped higher taxa diversification in spiders. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 127:146-155. [PMID: 29803949 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Cretaceous experienced one of the most remarkable greenhouse periods in geological history. During this time, ecosystem reorganization significantly impacted the diversification of many groups of organisms. The rise of angiosperms marked a major biome turnover. Notwithstanding, relatively little remains known about how the Cretaceous global ecosystem impacted the evolution of spiders, which constitute one of the most abundant groups of predators. Herein, we evaluate the transcriptomes of 91 taxa representing more than half of the spider families. We add 23 newly sequenced taxa to the existing database to obtain a robust phylogenomic assessment. Phylogenetic reconstructions using different datasets and methods obtain novel placements of some groups, especially in the Synspermiata and the group having a retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA). Molecular analyses indicate an expansion of the RTA clade at the Early Cretaceous with a hunting predatory strategy shift. Fossil analyses show a 7-fold increase of diversification rate at the same period, but this likely owes to the first occurrence of spiders in amber deposit. Additional analyses of fossil abundance show an accumulation of spider lineages in the Early Cretaceous. We speculate that the establishment of a warm greenhouse climate pumped the diversification of spiders, in particular among webless forms tracking the abundance of insect prey. Our study offers a new pathway for future investigations of spider phylogeny and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Shao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuqiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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28
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Perkins MJ, Inger R, Bearhop S, Sanders D. Multichannel feeding by spider functional groups is driven by feeding strategies and resource availability. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Perkins
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, Univ. of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn; Cornwall TR10 9EZ UK
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Hong Kong; Hong Kong SAR PR China
| | - Richard Inger
- Environment and Sustainability Inst., Univ. of Exeter, Penryn; Cornwall UK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, Univ. of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn; Cornwall TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Dirk Sanders
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, Univ. of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn; Cornwall TR10 9EZ UK
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29
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Resetarits WJ, Pintar MR. Functional diversity of non-lethal effects, chemical camouflage, and variation in fish avoidance in colonizing beetles. Ecology 2017; 97:3517-3529. [PMID: 27912024 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Predators play an extremely important role in natural communities. In freshwater systems, fish can dominate sorting both at the colonization and post-colonization stage. Specifically, for many colonizing species, fish can have non-lethal, direct effects that exceed the lethal direct effects of predation. Functionally diverse fish species with a range of predatory capabilities have previously been observed to elicit functionally equivalent responses on oviposition in tree frogs. We tested this hypothesis of functional equivalence of non-lethal effects for four predatory fish species, using naturally colonizing populations of aquatic beetles. Among taxa other than mosquitoes, and with the exception of the chemically camouflaged pirate perch, Aphredoderus sayanus, we provide the first evidence of variation in colonization or oviposition responses to different fish species. Focusing on total abundance, Fundulus chrysotus, a gape-limited, surface-feeding fish, elicited unique responses among colonizing Hydrophilidae, with the exception of the smallest and most abundant taxa, Paracymus, while Dytiscidae responded similarly to all avoided fish. Neither family responded to A. sayanus. Analysis of species richness and multivariate characterization of the beetle assemblages for the four fish species and controls revealed additional variation among the three avoided species and confirmed that chemical camouflage in A. sayanus results in assemblages essentially identical to fishless controls. The origin of this variation in beetle responses to different fish is unknown, but may involve variation in cue sensitivity, different behavioral algorithms, or differential responses to species-specific fish cues. The identity of fish species occupying aquatic habitats is crucial to understanding community structure, as varying strengths of lethal and non-lethal effects, as well as their interaction, create complex landscapes of predator effects and challenge the notion of functional equivalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Resetarits
- Department of Biology, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, 38677, USA
| | - Matthew R Pintar
- Department of Biology, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, 38677, USA
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