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Kuntner M, Kuntner M, Kuntner E, Kuntner I, Faganeli Pucer J, Štrumbelj E, Li D. Nephila spider male aggregation: preference for optimal female size and web clustering. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 39218999 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism theory predicts biased operational sex ratios (OSRs) and an uneven distribution of males among certain females. We studied this phenomenon through a field census of the giant wood spider Nephila pilipes (family Nephilidae) in Singapore, a species where females are, on average, 6.9 times larger than males. Specifically, we tested two hypotheses concerning male distribution, given their tendency to aggregate in certain female webs. The optimal female size hypothesis predicts that males would predominantly occupy webs of intermediate-sized females. The web clustering hypothesis posits that more males would be found in webs closer together compared to those farther apart. Our snapshot census revealed a female-biased OSR (females: males = 1.85) with an uneven distribution of males in female webs. Most males were found in webs of intermediate-sized females aligning with the optimal female size hypothesis. Proximity among female webs was indicative of male presence, lending support to the web clustering hypothesis. While our study's limited sample size warrants caution, we conclude that in N. pilipes, male occupation of female webs is facilitated by the clustering of webs, and males prefer to cohabit with optimally sized, receptive females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jana Faganeli Pucer
- Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Erik Štrumbelj
- Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Daiqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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2
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Jiang H, Zhan Y, Wu Q, Zhang H, Kuntner M, Tu L. A spider mating plug functions to protect sperm. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301290. [PMID: 38551985 PMCID: PMC10980215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Mating plugs in animals are ubiquitous and are commonly interpreted to be products of mating strategies. In spiders, however, mating plugs may also take on functions beyond female remating prevention. Due to the vagaries of female genital (spermathecal) anatomy, most spiders face the problem of having to secure additional, non-anatomical, protection for transferred sperm. Here, we test the hypothesis that mating plugs, rather than (or in addition to) being adaptations for mating strategies, may serve as sperm protection mechanism. Based on a comparative study on 411 epigyna sampled from 36 families, 187 genera, 330 species of entelegyne spiders, our results confirm the necessity of a sperm protection mechanism. We divided the entelegyne spermathecae into four types: SEG, SED, SCG and SCD. We also studied detailed morphology of epigynal tracts in the spider Diphya wulingensis having the SEG type spermathecae, using 3D-reconstruction based on semi thin histological series section. In this species, we hypothesize that two distinct types of mating plug, the sperm plug and the secretion plug, serve different functions. Morphological details support this: sperm plugs are formed on a modified spermathecal wall by the spilled sperm, and function as a temporary protection mechanism to prevent sperm from leaking and desiccating, while secretion plugs function in postcopulation both as a permanent protection mechanism, and to prevent additional mating. Furthermore, with the modified spermathecal wall of S2 stalk, the problem of shunt of sperm input and output, and the possibility of female multiple mating have been resolved. Variation in spermathecal morphology also suggests that the problem of sperm protection might be resolved in different ways in spiders. Considering mating plugs of varying shapes and origins in the vast morphospace of spiders, we conclude that mating plugs might serve different purposes that relate both to mating strategies, as well as to sperm protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yongjia Zhan
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Lang Yue Campus of Beijing 12th High School, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Huitao Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering & Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Lihong Tu
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
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3
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Ma Y, Hua Z, Mao A, Li D, Zhang S. Male opportunistic mating increases with intensity of female sexual cannibalism in three web-building spiders. Curr Zool 2021; 68:113-119. [PMID: 35169634 PMCID: PMC8836337 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict is common in animals, and female sexual cannibalism represents an extreme form of sexual conflict. Males in many species have evolved a variety of strategies to circumvent or decrease the risk of female sexual cannibalism. Opportunistic mating, by which a male mates with a female when she is disturbed or when she is feeding or undertaking moulting, is one of such kinds of strategies, and widely occurs in many animals, especially in spiders. However, whether the occurrence of male opportunistic mating depends on the intensity of female sexual cannibalism remains largely unexplored. We predicted a positive correlation between them. In this study, we tested this prediction by performing a series of mating trials in the laboratory using 3 species of web-building spiders with different intensities of female sexual cannibalism: Nephila pilipes, Nephilengys malabarensis, and Parasteatoda tepidariorum. We found that the occurrence of male opportunistic mating was positively, though not statistically significantly, correlated with the intensity of female sexual cannibalism, thus supporting our hypothesis. All together, we provide evidence that male opportunistic mating may have evolved to respond to the selection pressure posed by female sexual cannibalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China & Centre for Behavioral Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Zeyuan Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China & Centre for Behavioral Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Aijia Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China & Centre for Behavioral Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Shichang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China & Centre for Behavioral Ecology & Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
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4
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Šet J, Turk E, Golobinek R, Lokovšek T, Gregorič M, Lebrón SGQ, Kuntner M, Haddad CR, Čandek K, Kralj-Fišer S. Sex-specific developmental trajectories in an extremely sexually size dimorphic spider. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:54. [PMID: 34648079 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01754-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Adult body size, development time, and growth rates are components of organismal life histories, which crucially influence fitness and are subject to trade-offs. If selection is sex-specific, male and female developments can eventually lead to different optimal sizes. This can be achieved through developmental plasticity and sex-specific developmental trajectories. Spiders present suitable animals to study differences in developmental plasticity and life history trade-offs between the sexes, because of their pronounced sexual dimorphism. Here, we examine variation in life histories in the extremely sexually size dimorphic African hermit spider (Nephilingis cruentata) reared under standardized laboratory conditions. Females average 70 times greater body mass (and greater body size) at maturity than males, which they achieve by developing longer and growing faster. We find a small to moderate amount of variability in life history traits to be caused by family effects, comprising genetic, maternal, and early common environmental effects, suggesting considerable plasticity in life histories. Remarkably, family effects explain a higher variance in male compared to female life histories, implying that female developmental trajectories may be more responsive to environment. We also find sex differences in life history trade-offs and show that males with longer development times grow larger but exhibit shorter adult longevity. Female developmental time also correlates positively with adult body mass, but the trade-offs between female adult mass, reproduction, and longevity are less clear. We discuss the implications of these findings in the light of evolutionary trade-offs between life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janko Šet
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eva Turk
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Golobinek
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tjaša Lokovšek
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Gregorič
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Charles R Haddad
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Klemen Čandek
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, Evolutionary Zoology Laboratory, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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5
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Juvenile Experience with Male Cues Triggers Cryptic Choice Mechanisms in Adult Female Redback Spiders. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12090825. [PMID: 34564265 PMCID: PMC8468702 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Females of many species vary in their receptivity to male mating attempts. When many males are present in the habitat, the theory predicts that females should be choosy and discriminate among potential mates. When few males are available, females should mate readily with the first male who courts, and thus avoid the risk of remaining unmated. We predicted that cues perceived as juveniles that indicate male availability would affect the mating behaviour of adult females. In our first experiment, juvenile females were exposed to airborne chemicals produced by males at high or low densities. In our second experiment, we mimicked a natural situation where males or other juveniles live on the webs of females shortly before they become sexually mature, and compared this to females developing in isolation. As was consistent with our predictions, we found that the adult females changed their behaviour after exposure to cues of high male availability during development. When the females perceived many males nearby (high density airborne cues or living with males) they more often interrupted copulation, or cannibalized the males before the mating was complete as adults. In comparison, when the cues indicated low male availability, the adult females were more likely to allow the males to complete mating, and cannibalism was less common. Abstract Female choice may be linked to population density if the expected encounter rates with potential mates affects choosiness (the energy and risk engaged to express mate preferences). Choosiness should covary with male availability, which could be assessed using the social cues available during development. We tested whether the exposure of juvenile females to cues of male density affected the mechanisms of choosiness of adult Latrodectus hasselti spiders in two experiments simulating natural contexts. The juvenile females were exposed to (1) volatile chemicals from two densities of adult males (airborne cues), and (2) tactile, vibrational and chemical cues from adult males or other females (cohabitation cues). As adults, the females mated readily, regardless of the treatment, but there was strong evidence for post-copulatory mechanisms of choosiness in females exposed to cues of high male availability. These included abbreviated matings (in both experiments), cannibalism of the males before the mating was complete (cohabitation), and, remarkably, a reduction in the successful placement of internal sperm plugs (cohabitation). These shifts decrease the likelihood that the first mate would monopolize paternity if the female chose to mate again. We conclude that female choosiness may impose a strong selection on males despite the high mating rates, and these effects can hinge on the cues of male availability detected by juveniles.
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Oviedo‐Diego MA, Mattoni CI, Vrech DE, Michalik P, Peretti AV. The morphology of mating plugs and its formation in scorpions: Implications for intersexual participation. J Morphol 2020; 281:620-635. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mariela A. Oviedo‐Diego
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución Córdoba Argentina
| | - Camilo I. Mattoni
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
| | - David E. Vrech
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
| | - Peter Michalik
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Universität Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - Alfredo V. Peretti
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Físicas y Naturales, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología Córdoba Argentina
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7
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Segura-Hernández L, Aisenberg A, Vargas E, Hernández-Durán L, Eberhard WG, Barrantes G. Tuning in to the male: evidence contradicting sexually antagonistic coevolution models of sexual selection in Leucauge mariana (Araneae Tetragnathidae). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1682058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Segura-Hernández
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, San José, Costa Rica
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Anita Aisenberg
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Eric Vargas
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Linda Hernández-Durán
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - William G. Eberhard
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, San José, Costa Rica
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Gilbert Barrantes
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, San José, Costa Rica
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8
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Romero-Lebrón E, Oviedo-Diego MA, Elias D, Vrech DE, Peretti AV. Effect of the mating plug on female chemical attractiveness and mating acceptance in a scorpion. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Romero-Lebrón
- Centro de Relevamiento y Evaluación de Recursos Agrícolas y Naturales (CREAN-IMBIV); Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Córdoba Argentina
| | - Mariela A. Oviedo-Diego
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Córdoba Argentina
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA); Córdoba Argentina
| | - David Elias
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Córdoba Argentina
| | - David E. Vrech
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Córdoba Argentina
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA); Córdoba Argentina
- Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica II, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Córdoba Argentina
| | - Alfredo V. Peretti
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Córdoba Argentina
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA); Córdoba Argentina
- Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica II, Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Córdoba Argentina
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9
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Sentenská L, Pekár S, Uhl G. Deposition, removal and production site of the amorphous mating plug in the spider Philodromus cespitum. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:50. [PMID: 30030630 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1575-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
In order to avoid sperm competition, males of many taxa apply physical barriers, so-called mating plugs, into female genitalia. Females may control which males deposit a plug through pre-copulatory mate choice or by influencing plug efficacy to avoid costs imposed by plugging. However, subsequent suitors might remove the plugs. We investigated behavioural and morphological aspects of plug deposition and removal in a promiscuous spider, Philodromus cespitum (Philodromidae). We performed mating trials to investigate factors affecting plugging. To identify the plug origin, we conducted a morphological analysis using 3D X-ray microtomography and histology of the male copulatory organ and the female genital tract. In P. cespitum, the plug material is produced in the male genital bulb and transferred to the female together with sperm. The copulation is brief and terminated by the female. After mating, plugging material was found in the genital atrium of all females, covering it to a varying degree (10-100%). The extent of coverage was associated with the duration of movements of male copulatory organ connected with sperm transfer (i.e. full haematodochal expansions) and with the number of taps a male delivered with his legs to the female during courtship. Males larger than the female performed more tapping movements. Mating trials with plugged females revealed that males could remove plugs partly or entirely. Removal success increased with increasing foreleg length ratio between the male who removed the plug and the one who deposited it. We discuss our results in the light of the potential female control of plug deposition and removal.
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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.
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Department of General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
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10
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Hernández L, Aisenberg A, Molina J. Mating plugs and sexual cannibalism in the Colombian orb-web spiderLeucauge mariana. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hernández
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT; Bogotá Universidad de los Andes; Bogotá Colombia
| | - Anita Aisenberg
- Laboratorio de Etología, Ecología y Evolución; Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable; Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Jorge Molina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical - CIMPAT; Bogotá Universidad de los Andes; Bogotá Colombia
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11
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Cheng RC, Zhang S, Chen YC, Lee CY, Chou YL, Ye HY, Piorkowski D, Liao CP, Tso IM. Nutrient intake determines post-maturity molting in the golden orb-web spider Nephila pilipes (Araneae: Araneidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:2260-2264. [PMID: 28396355 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.153569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
While molting occurs in the development of many animals, especially arthropods, post-maturity molting (PMM, organisms continue to molt after sexual maturity) has received little attention. The mechanism of molting has been studied intensively; however, the mechanism of PMM remains unknown although it is suggested to be crucial for the development of body size. In this study, we investigated factors that potentially induce PMM in the golden orb-web spider Nephila pilipes, which has the greatest degree of sexual dimorphism among terrestrial animals. We manipulated the mating history and the nutrient consumption of the females to examine whether they affect PMM. The results showed that female spiders under low nutrition were more likely to molt as adults, and mating had no significant influence on the occurrence of PMM. Moreover, spiders that underwent PMM lived longer than those that did not and their body sizes were significantly increased. Therefore, we concluded that nutritional condition rather than mating history affect PMM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Chung Cheng
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan.,Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Shichang Zhang
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Chen
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Lee
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ling Chou
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ying Ye
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Dakota Piorkowski
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
| | - I-Min Tso
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan .,Center for Tropical Ecology and Biodiversity, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
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12
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Potential costs of heterospecific sexual interactions in golden orbweb spiders (Nephila spp.). Sci Rep 2016; 6:36908. [PMID: 27845369 PMCID: PMC5109271 DOI: 10.1038/srep36908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Though not uncommon in other animals, heterospecific mating is rarely reported in arachnids. We investigated sexual interactions among four closely related and syntopical African golden orbweb spiders, Nephila inaurata, N. fenestrata, N. komaci, and N. senegalensis. In two South African localities, female webs were often inhabited by heterospecific males that sometimes outnumbered conspecifics. Species association of males with females was random in nature. In subsequent laboratory choice experiments, N. inaurata males chose heterospecific females in 30% of trials. We also observed natural mating interactions between N. inaurata males and N. komaci females, and between N. komaci males and N. inaurata females in laboratory experiments. While heterospecific mating in the laboratory never produced offspring, conspecific mating did. We discuss potential ecological and evolutionary consequences of heterospecific mating interactions in Nephila that may be particularly costly to the rarer species.
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Kuntner M, Cheng RC, Kralj-Fišer S, Liao CP, Schneider JM, Elgar MA. The evolution of genital complexity and mating rates in sexually size dimorphic spiders. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:242. [PMID: 27829358 PMCID: PMC5103378 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0821-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genital diversity may arise through sexual conflict over polyandry, where male genital features function to manipulate female mating frequency against her interest. Correlated genital evolution across animal groups is consistent with this view, but a link between genital complexity and mating rates remains to be established. In sexually size dimorphic spiders, golden orbweaving spiders (Nephilidae) males mutilate their genitals to form genital plugs, but these plugs do not always prevent female polyandry. In a comparative framework, we test whether male and female genital complexity coevolve, and how these morphologies, as well as sexual cannibalism, relate to the evolution of mating systems. Results Using a combination of comparative tests, we show that male genital complexity negatively correlates with female mating rates, and that levels of sexual cannibalism negatively correlate with male mating rates. We also confirm a positive correlation between male and female genital complexity. The macroevolutionary trajectory is consistent with a repeated evolution from polyandry to monandry coinciding with the evolution towards more complex male genitals. Conclusions These results are consistent with the predictions from sexual conflict theory, although sexual conflict may not be the only mechanism responsible for the evolution of genital complexity and mating systems. Nevertheless, our comparative evidence suggests that in golden orbweavers, male genital complexity limits female mating rates, and sexual cannibalism by females coincides with monogyny. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0821-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia. .,National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Ren-Chung Cheng
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kralj-Fišer
- Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Chen-Pan Liao
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Zoological Institute, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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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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Fritzsche K, Timmermeyer N, Wolter M, Michiels NK. Female, but not male, nematodes evolve under experimental sexual coevolution. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:20140942. [PMID: 25339719 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coevolution between the sexes is often considered to be male-driven: the male genome is constantly scanned by selection for traits that increase relative male fertilization success. Whenever these traits are harmful to females, the female genome is scanned for resistance traits. The resulting antagonistic coevolution between the sexes is analogous to Red Queen dynamics, where adaptation and counteradaptation keep each other in check. However, the underlying assumption that male trait evolution precedes female trait counteradaptation has received few empirical tests. Using the gonochoristic nematode Caenorhabditis remanei, we now show that 20 generations of relaxed versus increased sexual selection pressure lead to female, but not to male, trait evolution, questioning the generality of a male-driven process.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Fritzsche
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - N Timmermeyer
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - M Wolter
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - N K Michiels
- Department of Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Edward DA, Stockley P, Hosken DJ. Sexual conflict and sperm competition. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2014; 7:a017707. [PMID: 25301931 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Traits that increase a male's fertilization success during sperm competition can be harmful to females and therefore represent a source of sexual conflict. In this review, we consider the variety of male adaptations to sperm competition (MASC) that may give rise to sexual conflict-including mate guarding, prolonged copulations, the transfer of large numbers of sperm, and the manipulation of females through nonsperm components of the ejaculate. We then reflect on the fitness economics influencing the escalation of these sexual conflicts, considering the likelihood of females evolving traits to offset the negative effects of MASC when compared with the strong selection on males that lead to MASC. We conclude by discussing the potential evolutionary outcomes of sexual conflict arising from MASC, including the opportunities for females to mitigate conflict costs and the prospects for conflict resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic A Edward
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - David J Hosken
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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Kuntner M, Elgar MA. Evolution and maintenance of sexual size dimorphism: aligning phylogenetic and experimental evidence. Front Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2014.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Kuntner M, Arnedo MA, Trontelj P, Lokovšek T, Agnarsson I. A molecular phylogeny of nephilid spiders: evolutionary history of a model lineage. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2013; 69:961-79. [PMID: 23811436 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 05/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The pantropical orb web spider family Nephilidae is known for the most extreme sexual size dimorphism among terrestrial animals. Numerous studies have made Nephilidae, particularly Nephila, a model lineage in evolutionary research. However, a poorly understood phylogeny of this lineage, relying only on morphology, has prevented thorough evolutionary syntheses of nephilid biology. We here use three nuclear and five mitochondrial genes for 28 out of 40 nephilid species to provide a more robust nephilid phylogeny and infer clade ages in a fossil-calibrated Bayesian framework. We complement the molecular analyses with total evidence analysis including morphology. All analyses find strong support for nephilid monophyly and exclusivity and the monophyly of the genera Herennia and Clitaetra. The inferred phylogenetic structure within Nephilidae is novel and conflicts with morphological phylogeny and traditional taxonomy. Nephilengys species fall into two clades, one with Australasian species (true Nephilengys) as sister to Herennia, and another with Afrotropical species (Nephilingis Kuntner new genus) as sister to a clade containing Clitaetra plus most currently described Nephila. Surprisingly, Nephila is also diphyletic, with true Nephila containing N. pilipes+N. constricta, and the second clade with all other species sister to Clitaetra; this "Nephila" clade is further split into an Australasian clade that also contains the South American N. sexpunctata and the Eurasian N. clavata, and an African clade that also contains the Panamerican N. clavipes. An approximately unbiased test constraining the monophyly of Nephilengys, Nephila, and Nephilinae (Nephila, Nephilengys, Herennia), respectively, rejected Nephilengys monophyly, but not that of Nephila and Nephilinae. Further data are therefore necessary to robustly test these two new, but inconclusive findings, and also to further test the precise placement of Nephilidae within the Araneoidea. For divergence date estimation we set the minimum bound for the stems of Nephilidae at 40 Ma and of Nephila at 16 Ma to accommodate Palaeonephila from Baltic amber and Dominican Nephila species, respectively. We also calibrated and dated the phylogeny under three different interpretations of the enigmatic 165 Ma fossil Nephila jurassica, which we suspected based on morphology to be misplaced. We found that by treating N. jurassica as stem Nephila or nephilid the inferred clade ages were vastly older, and the mitochondrial substitution rates much slower than expected from other empirical spider data. This suggests that N. jurassica is not a Nephila nor a nephilid, but possibly a stem orbicularian. The estimated nephilid ancestral age (40-60 Ma) rejects a Gondwanan origin of the family as most of the southern continents were already split at that time. The origin of the family is equally likely to be African, Asian, or Australasian, with a global biogeographic history dominated by dispersal events. A reinterpretation of web architecture evolution suggests that a partially arboricolous, asymmetric orb web with a retreat, as exemplified by both groups of "Nephilengys", is plesiomorphic in Nephilidae, that this architecture was modified into specialized arboricolous webs in Herennia and independently in Clitaetra, and that the web became aerial, gigantic, and golden independently in both "Nephila" groups. The new topology questions previously hypothesized gradual evolution of female size from small to large, and rather suggests a more mosaic evolutionary pattern with independent female size increases from medium to giant in both "Nephila" clades, and two reversals back to medium and small; combined with male size evolution, this pattern will help detect gross evolutionary events leading to extreme sexual size dimorphism, and its morphological and behavioral correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Kuntner
- Institute of Biology, Scientific Research Centre, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA; College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China.
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