Level of polygyny and associated reproductive costs in a funnel-web lycosid

PERETTI, A. V.; GONZÁLEZ, M.; ABREGÚ, D.

Golden, Colorado

Congreso; 20th International Congress of Archnology; 2016

American Arachnological Society (AAS) & International Society of Arachnology (ISA)

A mating system that includes polygyny can involve benefits for males but also costs in mate searching and sexual performance during courtship and copulation. These costs could limitthe number of copulations a male achieves and also generate changes in body conditions andphysiological characteristics. In this study we focused on the atypical Aglaoctenus lagotis, a South American wolf spider who lives in funnel-webs. Polyandrous females has been reported for the species but nothing is known about reproductive dynamics of males. Here we evaluate, under laboratory conditions, the level of polygyny that males from A. lagotis are able to achieve and the behavioral and physiological changes involved. Nine males were sequentially exposed to virgin females, in their webs, every three days, until the male stopped copulating and courting, were cannibalized or dead naturally. Number of matings achieved by males were counted, and the characteristics of each sexual exposition, as well as body measurements of the individuals, were registered. We also counted the sperm in the spermathecae of the females the males copulated with, and the remaining sperm in male?s pedipalps after all their copulations. Males performed an average of 6 copulations (range 11-3). The number of sperm transferred to the females decreases with successive copulations, as well as males weight. Courtships and copulations durations showed no relation with males body conditions (size and weight). Four males were cannibalized by their mates during and after copulations, but were not those that had performed more copulations. Results suggest that A. lagotis presents a polyandrous-polygynous system. Details about other factors influencing these results, as males and female?s sexual behavior and body characteristics, will be discussed by the light of the reproductive dynamics of the species.