MACNBR   00242
MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES "BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA"
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Courtship, egg sac construction, and maternal care in Kukulcania hibernalis, with information on the courtship of Misionella mendensis (Araneae, Filistatidae)
Autor/es:
BARRANTES, G.; RAMÍREZ, M. J.
Revista:
Arachnology
Editorial:
British Arachnological Society
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 16 p. 72 - 80
ISSN:
2050-9928
Resumen:
Morphological and behavioural traits place Filistatidae basally
within Araneomorphae, although some features, such as their
continuing to moult after reaching adulthood, are reminiscent
of mygalomorph spiders. This paper describes the courtship
behaviour and other aspects of the reproductive biology of
Kukulcania hibernalis and Misionella mendensis, and compares
this information with that from related species and with
Mygalomorphae. K. hibernalis has some unique behaviours
during courtship (e.g. male lays threads on female web); other
behaviours are probably widespread within Filistatidae (e.g.
male uses the tarsi and metatarsi of one of his legs to rub the basal
sections of the female?s legs and the sides of her cephalothorax).
Some other behaviours seem more similar to Mygalomorphae
than to those of other, more derived Araneomorphae. These
include male construction of a large sperm web, and the positions
of male and female facing each other during copulation, with the
male holding the female cephalothorax lifted while insertions
occur, similar to some mygalomorphs. The adult female K.
hibernalis and the first instar spiderlings (outside the eggsac)
feed simultaneously on the same prey, but spiderlings are
also capable of cooperating during the attack of large prey.
The courtship behaviour supports the hypothesis that places
Filistatidae basally within Araneomorphae.