Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| Title (Primary) | Modelling reproductive strategies in social spiders Stegodyphus dumicola Pocock (Araneae: Eresidae) |
| Author | Ulbrich, K.; Henschel, J.R. |
| Source Titel | Journal of the Namibian Scientific Society |
| Year | 2006 |
| Department | BZF |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Page From | 5 |
| Page To | 16 |
| Language | englisch |
| Abstract | Colony dynamics of social spiders of the species Stegodyphus dumicola (Pocock) is described by means of individual-based modelling developed from observations made near Uhlenhorst, Namibia. The writers test the hypotheses that reproductive success of females is affected by pre-adult foraging success and emigration as adults. Two strategies are compared: (1) the timing of egg deposition as well as the number of eggs depends on the female's body mass; and (2) the date of egg deposition and the number of eggs are determined randomly. It is found that in the first scenario the probability for females to obtain F2-offspring (second generation) is higher and that the number of offspring per generation is more constant, which favours colony persistence. Also compared are mature females that emigrated with females that stayed in colonies and found that emigration increases the number of F2-offspring except for the single largest colony female. There is a high risk, however, of newly founded colonies not surviving into the second generation unless food is enriched. This study elucidates the contrasting effects of within-colony competition, food security and reproductive success faced by individual social spiders. |
| Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=3079 |
| Ulbrich, K., Henschel, J.R. (2006): Modelling reproductive strategies in social spiders Stegodyphus dumicola Pocock (Araneae: Eresidae) Journal of the Namibian Scientific Society 54 (1), 5 - 16 |
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