Funnel-web construction and estimated immune costs in Aglaoctenus lagotis (Araneae: Lycosidae)

GONZÁLEZ, M.; COSTA, F. G.; PERETTI, A. V.

JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY

AMER ARACHNOLOGICAL SOC

Lugar: Nueva York; Año: 2015 vol. 43 p. 158 - 167

0161-8202

Constructingwebs for living is rare in wolf spiders. However, some species, postulated asbasal in the family, live in funnel-webs. Aglaoctenuslagotis (Holmberg, 1876) is a lycosid from South America who livespermanently in webs. It is virtually unknown how the construction occurs, forthis species and the other few weavers of the family. Also the costs associatedto the construction have not been studied, although funnels are suggested asparticularly costly webs. This study describes the funnel-web constructionbehavior of A. lagotis (Lycosidae;Sosippinae) and measures its costs in subadult and adult individuals. Werecorded web construction, the effects of sealing spinnerets in the weavingactivity and the immune costs of weaving (measuring melanization of an implant) in individuals enabled and prevented toweave. The construction consisted on three alternating behaviors: deposition ofthick threads, with a radial orientation and prolonged attachments (mainlyinvolving the anterior spinnerets), deposition of swaths of fine threads,without consistent orientation and with short attachments (mainly involving theposterior spinnerets) and motionless. No sticky threads are present in the web.The thick threads would have a supporting function as well as the fine threadsa filling function. Subadults and males enabled to weave reduced their immuneresponse compared with those prevented to weave, relation not observed forfemales. Males presented the weakest immune response, followed by subadults andfemales. Web construction process would show greater similarity with agelenidspiders than with the unique lycosid studied, Sosippus janus Brady, 1972, and appears as acostly activity, especially for males.