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Weiss K, Schneider JM. Female sex pheromone emission is affected by body condition, but not immune system function, in the orb‐web spider
Argiope bruennichi. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13280] [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]
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Weiss K, Schneider JM. Strategic pheromone signalling by mate searching females of the sexually cannibalistic spider Argiope bruennichi. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211806. [PMID: 35116167 PMCID: PMC8767209 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction often requires finding a mating partner. To this end, females of many arthropods advertise their presence to searching males via volatile chemical signals. Such pheromones are considered low-cost signals, although this notion is based on little evidence and has recently been challenged. Even when using comparatively low-cost signals, females should signal as little as possible to minimize costs while still ensuring mate attraction. Here, we test the strategic-signalling hypothesis using Argiope bruennichi. In this orb-weaving spider, egg maturation commences with adult moult, and females that do not attract a male in time will lay a large batch of unfertilized eggs approximately three weeks after maturation. Using GC-MS analyses, we show that virgin females enhance their signalling effort, i.e. pheromone quantity per unit body mass, with increasing age and approaching oviposition. We further demonstrate that pheromone release is condition dependent, suggesting the occurrence of physiological costs. Mate choice assays revealed that pheromone quantity is the only predictor of female attractiveness for males. In support of the strategic-signalling hypothesis, pheromone signals by female A. bruennichi become stronger with increased need as well as body condition, and might thus qualify as an honest signal of female quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Weiss
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta M. Schneider
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
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Weiss K, Schneider JM. Family-specific chemical profiles provide potential kin recognition cues in the sexually cannibalistic spider Argiope bruennichi. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210260. [PMID: 34343436 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Kin recognition, the ability to detect relatives, is important for cooperation, altruism and also inbreeding avoidance. A large body of research on kin recognition mechanisms exists for vertebrates and insects, while little is known for other arthropod taxa. In spiders, nepotism has been reported in social and solitary species. However, there are very few examples of kin discrimination in a mating context, one coming from the orb-weaver Argiope bruennichi. Owing to effective mating plugs and high rates of sexual cannibalism, both sexes of A. bruennichi are limited to a maximum of two copulations. Males surviving their first copulation can either re-mate with the current female (monopolizing paternity) or leave and search for another. Mating experiments have shown that males readily mate with sisters but are more likely to leave after one short copulation as compared with unrelated females, allowing them to search for another mate. Here, we ask whether the observed behaviour is based on chemical cues. We detected family-specific cuticular profiles that qualify as kin recognition cues. Moreover, correlations in the relative amounts of some of the detected substances between sexes within families indicate that kin recognition is likely based on subsets of cuticular substances, rather than entire profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Weiss
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Institute of Zoology, University of Hamburg, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
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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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Lüddecke T, von Reumont BM, Förster F, Billion A, Timm T, Lochnit G, Vilcinskas A, Lemke S. An Economic Dilemma Between Molecular Weapon Systems May Explain an Arachno-atypical Venom in Wasp Spiders ( Argiope bruennichi). Biomolecules 2020; 10:E978. [PMID: 32630016 PMCID: PMC7407881 DOI: 10.3390/biom10070978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiders use venom to subdue their prey, but little is known about the diversity of venoms in different spider families. Given the limited data available for orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae), we selected the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi for detailed analysis. Our strategy combined a transcriptomics pipeline based on multiple assemblies with a dual proteomics workflow involving parallel mass spectrometry techniques and electrophoretic profiling. We found that the remarkably simple venom of A. bruennichi has an atypical composition compared to other spider venoms, prominently featuring members of the cysteine-rich secretory protein, antigen 5 and pathogenesis-related protein 1 (CAP) superfamily and other, mostly high-molecular-weight proteins. We also detected a subset of potentially novel toxins similar to neuropeptides. We discuss the potential function of these proteins in the context of the unique hunting behavior of wasp spiders, which rely mostly on silk to trap their prey. We propose that the simplicity of the venom evolved to solve an economic dilemma between two competing yet metabolically expensive weapon systems. This study emphasizes the importance of cutting-edge methods to encompass the lineages of smaller venomous species that have yet to be characterized in detail, allowing us to understand the biology of their venom systems and to mine this prolific resource for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
| | - Björn M. von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Frank Förster
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, 35392 Gießen, Germany;
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
| | - Thomas Timm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Gießen, Germany; (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Sarah Lemke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; (B.M.v.R.); (S.L.)
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
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Fisher AM, Cornell SJ, Holwell GI, Price TAR. Mate‐finding Allee effects can be exacerbated or relieved by sexual cannibalism. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1581-1592. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fisher
- Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | | | | | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
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Assis BA, Foellmer MW. Optimal ultra-short copulation duration in a sexually cannibalistic spider. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2733-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Andrade MC. Sexual selection and social context: Web-building spiders as emerging models for adaptive plasticity. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Cory AL, Schneider JM. Mate availability does not influence mating strategies in males of the sexually cannibalistic spider Argiope bruennichi. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5360. [PMID: 30123703 PMCID: PMC6086085 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual selection theory predicts that male investment in a current female should be a function of female density and male competition. While many studies have focused on male competition, the impact of female density on male mating investment has been widely neglected. Here, we aimed to close this gap and tested effects of mate density on male mating decisions in the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi. Males of this species mutilate their genitalia during copulation, which reduces sperm competition and limits their mating rate to a maximum of two females (bigyny). The mating rate is frequently further reduced by female aggression and cannibalization. Males can reduce the risk of cannibalism if they jump off the female in time, but will then transfer fewer sperm. An alternative solution of this trade-off is to copulate longer, commit self-sacrifice and secure higher minimal paternity. The self-sacrificial strategy may be adaptive if prospective mating chances are uncertain. In A. bruennichi, this uncertainty may arise from quick changes in population dynamics. Therefore, we expected that males would immediately respond to information about low or high mate availability and opt for self-sacrifice after a single copulation under low mate availability. If male survival depends on information about prospective mating chances, we further predicted that under high mate availability, we would find a higher rate of males that leave the first mating partner to follow a bigynous mating strategy. Method We used naïve males and compared their mating decisions among two treatments that differed in the number of signalling females. In the high mate availability treatment, males perceived pheromone signals from four adult, virgin females, while in the low mate availability treatment only one of four females was adult and virgin and the other three were penultimate and unreceptive. Results Males took more time to start mate searching if mate availability was low. However, a self-sacrificial strategy was not more likely under low mate availability. We found no effects of treatment on the duration of copulation, the probability to survive the first copulation or the probability of bigyny. Interestingly, survival chances depended on male size and were higher in small males. Discussion Our results do not support the hypothesis that mate density variation affects male mating investment, although they clearly perceived mate density, which they presumably assessed by pheromone quantity. One reason for the absence of male adjustments to mating tactics could be that adaptations to survive female attacks veil adaptations that facilitate mating decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Cory
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Cory AL, Schneider JM. Effects of social information on life history and mating tactics of males in the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:344-355. [PMID: 29321876 PMCID: PMC5756857 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Informed mating decisions are often based on social cues providing information about prospective mating opportunities. Social information early in life can trigger developmental modifications and influence later mating decisions. A high adaptive value of such adjustments is particularly obvious in systems where potential mating rates are extremely limited and have to be carried out in a short time window. Males of the sexually cannibalistic spider Argiope bruennichi can achieve maximally two copulations which they can use for one (monogyny) or two females (bigyny). The choice between these male mating tactics should rely on female availability that males might assess through volatile sex pheromones emitted by virgin females. We predict that in response to those female cues, males of A. bruennichi should mature earlier and at a smaller body size and favor a bigynous mating tactic in comparison with controls. We sampled spiders from two areas close to the Southern and Northern species range to account for differences in mate quality and seasonality. In a fully factorial design, half of the subadult males from both areas obtained silk cues of females, while the other half remained without female exposure. Adult males were subjected to no‐choice mating tests and could either monopolize the female or leave her (bigyny). We found that Southern males matured later and at a larger size than Northern males. Regardless of their origin, males also shortened the subadult stage in response to female cues, which, however, had no effects on male body mass. Contrary to our prediction, the frequencies of mating tactics were unaffected by the treatment. We conclude that while social cues during late development elicit adaptive life history adjustments, they are less important for the adjustment of mating decisions. We suggest that male tactics mostly rely on local information at the time of mate search.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Cory
- Zoologisches Institut Universität Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg Germany
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Herberstein ME, Painting CJ, Holwell GI. Scramble Competition Polygyny in Terrestrial Arthropods. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Yip EC, Berner-Aharon N, Smith DR, Lubin Y. Coy Males and Seductive Females in the Sexually Cannibalistic Colonial Spider, Cyrtophora citricola. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155433. [PMID: 27249787 PMCID: PMC4889064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The abundance of sperm relative to eggs selects for males that maximize their number of mates and for females that choose high quality males. However, in many species, males exercise mate choice, even when they invest little in their offspring. Sexual cannibalism may promote male choosiness by limiting the number of females a male can inseminate and by biasing the sex ratio toward females because, while females can reenter the mating pool, cannibalized males cannot. These effects may be insufficient for male choosiness to evolve, however, if males face low sequential encounter rates with females. We hypothesized that sexual cannibalism should facilitate the evolution of male choosiness in group living species because a male is likely to encounter multiple receptive females simultaneously. We tested this hypothesis in a colonial orb-weaving spider, Cyrtophora citricola, with a high rate of sexual cannibalism. We tested whether mated females would mate with multiple males, and thereby shift the operational sex ratio toward females. We also investigated whether either sex chooses mates based on nutritional state and age, and whether males choose females based on reproductive state. We found that females are readily polyandrous and exhibit no mate choice related to male feeding or age. Males courted more often when the male was older and the female was younger, and males copulated more often with well-fed females. The data show that males are choosier than females for the traits we measured, supporting our hypothesis that group living and sexual cannibalism may together promote the evolution of male mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C. Yip
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes of Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- * E-mail:
| | - Na’ama Berner-Aharon
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes of Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Deborah R. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Yael Lubin
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes of Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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Cory AL, Schneider JM. Old maids have more appeal: effects of age and pheromone source on mate attraction in an orb-web spider. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1877. [PMID: 27114864 PMCID: PMC4841224 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. In many insects and spider species, females attract males with volatile sex pheromones, but we know surprisingly little about the costs and benefits of female pheromone emission. Here, we test the hypothesis that mate attraction by females is dynamic and strategic in the sense that investment in mate attraction is matched to the needs of the female. We use the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi in which females risk the production of unfertilised egg clutches if they do not receive a copulation within a certain time-frame. Methods. We designed field experiments to compare mate attraction by recently matured (young) females with females close to oviposition (old). In addition, we experimentally separated the potential sources of pheromone transmission, namely the female body and the web silk. Results. In accordance with the hypothesis of strategic pheromone production, the probability of mate attraction and the number of males attracted differed between age classes. While the bodies and webs of young females were hardly found by males, the majority of old females attracted up to two males within two hours. Old females not only increased pheromone emission from their bodies but also from their webs. Capture webs alone spun by old females were significantly more efficient in attracting males than webs of younger females. Discussion. Our results suggest that females modulate their investment in signalling according to the risk of remaining unmated and that they thereby economize on the costs associated with pheromone production and emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Cory
- Zoologisches Institut, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Schneider JM, Zimmer SM, Gatz AL, Sauerland K. Context- and State-Dependent Male Mate Choice in a Sexually Cannibalistic Spider. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jutta M. Schneider
- Zoological Institute; Biocenter Grindel; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - Stefanie M. Zimmer
- Zoological Institute; Biocenter Grindel; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - Anna L. Gatz
- Zoological Institute; Biocenter Grindel; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - Kristin Sauerland
- Zoological Institute; Biocenter Grindel; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
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Exploiting a moment of weakness: male spiders escape sexual cannibalism by copulating with moulting females. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16928. [PMID: 26607497 PMCID: PMC4660273 DOI: 10.1038/srep16928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual cannibalism is a particularly extreme example of conflict between the sexes, depriving the male of future reproduction. Theory predicts that sexual conflict should induce counter-adaptations in the victim. Observations of male spiders mating with moulting and hence largely immobile females suggest that this behaviour functions to circumvent female control and cannibalism. However, we lack quantitative estimates of natural frequencies and fitness consequences of these unconventional matings. To understand the importance of mating while moulting in cannibalistic mating systems, we combined mating experiments and paternity assessment in the laboratory with extensive field observations using the sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi. Copulations with moulting females resulted in 97% male survival compared with only 20% in conventional matings. Mating while moulting provided similar paternity benefits compared with conventional matings. Our findings support the hypothesis that mating with moulting females evolved under sexual conflict and safely evades sexual cannibalism. Despite male benefits, natural frequencies were estimated around 44% and directly predicted by a male guarding a subadult female. Since only adult females signal their presence, the difficulty for males to locate subadult females might limit further spreading of mating with moulting females.
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Neumann R, Schneider JM. Differential investment and size-related mating strategies facilitate extreme size variation in contesting male spiders. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Sentenská L, Pekár S, Lipke E, Michalik P, Uhl G. Female control of mate plugging in a female-cannibalistic spider (Micaria sociabilis). BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:18. [PMID: 25886749 PMCID: PMC4327802 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0278-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sperm competition imposes a strong selective pressure on males, leading to the evolution of various physiological, morphological and behavioral traits. Sperm competition can be prevented by blocking or impeding the access to female genitalia by means of a mating plug. We investigated the factors responsible for plug production and function in the promiscuous female-cannibalistic spider Micaria sociabilis (Gnaphosidae). RESULTS We performed mating trials using females with and without a plug that consists of an amorphous mass. The mating trials demonstrated that the probability of male plugging increased non-linearly with the duration of copulation. Copulation duration and plug production seem to be controlled by the female. We found that females terminated matings later if males were fast at genital coupling. Whereas incomplete plugs had disappeared on the day following copulation, complete plugs persisted (40%). In matings with females with complete plugs, only a small proportion of males (7%) were able to remove the plug, indicating the high effectiveness of plugging. Moreover, males ceased attempts to copulate with plugged females with higher probability. 3D X-ray microscopy of the female and male genitalia showed that the plug material can extend far into the female genital tract and that the plug material is produced by a massive gland inside the palpal organ of the modified male pedipalps. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that the mating plug in M. sociabilis constitutes an effective male strategy to avoid sperm competition that seems to be under female control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Sentenská
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Elisabeth Lipke
- Department of General and Systematic Zoology, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Peter Michalik
- Department of General and Systematic Zoology, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Department of General and Systematic Zoology, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
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Dangerous mating systems: Signal complexity, signal content and neural capacity in spiders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt 4:509-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Abstract
Sexual cannibalism is a well-known example for sexual conflict and has many facets that determine the costs and benefits for the cannibal and the victim. Here, I focus on species in which sexual cannibalism is a general component of a mating system in which males invest maximally in mating with a single (monogyny) or two (bigyny) females. Sexual cannibalism can be a male strategy to maximize paternity and a female strategy to prevent paternity monopolization by any or a particular male. Considerable variation exists between species (1) in the potential of males to monopolize females, and (2) in the success of females in preventing monopolization by males. This opens up exciting future possibilities to investigate sexually antagonistic coevolution in a largely unstudied mating system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta M Schneider
- Zoological Institute & Museum, Biocentre Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Zimmer SM, Krehenwinkel H, Schneider JM. Rapid range expansion is not restricted by inbreeding in a sexually cannibalistic spider. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95963. [PMID: 24759976 PMCID: PMC3997557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Few studies investigated whether rapid range expansion is associated with an individual's short-term fitness costs due to an increased risk of inbred mating at the front of expansion. In mating systems with low male mating rates both sexes share potential inbreeding costs and general mechanisms to avoid or reduce these costs are expected. The spider Argiope bruennichi expanded its range recently and we asked whether rapid settlement of new sites exposes individuals to a risk of inbreeding. We sampled four geographically separated subpopulations, genotyped individuals, arranged matings and monitored hatching success. Hatching success was lowest in egg-sacs derived from sibling pairs and highest in egg-sacs derived from among-population crosses, while within-population crosses were intermediate. This indicates that inbreeding might affect hatching success in the wild. Unlike expected, differential hatching success of within- and among-population crosses did not correlate with genetic distance of mating pairs. In contrast, we found high genetic diversity based on 16 microsatellite markers and a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene in all populations. Our results suggest that even a very recent settlement secures the presence of genetically different mating partners. This leads to costs of inbreeding since the population is not inbred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie M. Zimmer
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Henrik Krehenwinkel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Jutta M. Schneider
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Zimmer SM, Schneider JM, Herberstein ME. Can males detect the strength of sperm competition and presence of genital plugs during mate choice? Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Direct and indirect bottom-up and top-down forces shape the abundance of the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi. Basic Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Fromhage L, Schneider JM. A mate to die for? A model of conditional monogyny in cannibalistic spiders. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:2577-87. [PMID: 23145342 PMCID: PMC3492783 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Revised: 08/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Monogynous males in various species actively limit themselves to mating with a single female in their lifetime. Whereas previous models have considered monogyny as an obligate mating strategy, here we explore the potential of monogyny to evolve as a context-specific (conditional) behavior. Using a state-dependent dynamic game model based on the biology of the cannibalistic spider Argiope bruennichi, we confirm that conditional monogyny can evolve under broad conditions, including an even sex ratio. We predict that males should make a terminal investment when mating with large, virgin females, especially if population density is low and the encounter occurs late in the season. We encourage empirical tests for the existence of conditional monogyny in all species where monogyny occurs in the absence of strict morphological constraints that would make it obligatory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Fromhage
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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Welke KW, Zimmer SM, Schneider JM. Conditional monogyny: female quality predicts male faithfulness. Front Zool 2012; 9:7. [PMID: 22533854 PMCID: PMC3416716 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-9-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Male monogyny in the absence of paternal investment is arguably one of the most puzzling mating systems. Recent evidence suggests that males of monogynous species adjust their life-history and their mating decision to shifting spatial and temporal selection regimes. In the cannibalistic wasp spider Argiope bruennichi males can be either monogynous or mate with a maximum of two females. We studied factors underlying male mating decisions in a natural population over a whole mating season. We documented all matings and categorized the males into single-mated and double-mated monogynous as well as bigynous males. RESULTS We found that all categories were continuously present with relatively stable frequencies despite changes in the operational sex ratio. Males were more likely monogynous when copulating with relatively heavy and old females and otherwise bigynous. CONCLUSION Our results imply that males make conditional mating decisions based on the quality of the first female they encounter but do not adjust their mating tactic to the local selection regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaas W Welke
- Zoological Institute, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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