A study of disturbance behaviors in Uloborus glomosus (Araneae; Uloboridae) as possible predator avoidance strategies

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dc.contributor.authorCushing, Paula Elizabethen
dc.contributor.committeechairOpell, Brent D.en
dc.contributor.committeememberFell, Richard D.en
dc.contributor.committeememberJenssen, Thomas A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberWest, David A.en
dc.contributor.departmentZoologyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:46:16Zen
dc.date.adate2008-10-02en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:46:16Zen
dc.date.issued1988-03-15en
dc.date.rdate2008-10-02en
dc.date.sdate2008-10-02en
dc.description.abstractWhen touched with a contact stimulus, 50% of adult Uloborus glomosus jumped from the web; 33% remained motionless; 13% moved to the edge of the web; and 4% shook the web. In a population of juveniles, 45% moved to the edge of the web; 27% jumped from the web; 24% shook the web; and 4% remained motionless. Adults with either stabilimenta or eggsac chains in their webs showed a tendency to shake their webs in the morning and move to the edge in the evening. Those without web structures jumped from their webs throughout the day. Juveniles with stabilimenta shook their webs in the afternoon; those without stabilimenta shook their webs in the evening. Adults aligned with web structures remained motionless when disturbed. Marked adults observed over the course of 4 weeks moved to the edge of the web or remained motionless when contacted in the mornings and jumped in the afternoons and evenings. During this time, the frequency of the jumping behavior increased. An adult U. glomosus jumped from its web in response to contact by a spider-hunting wasp. Other spiders tested with a contact stimulus and the combined visual and vibratory stimuli produced by a tethered wasp responded only to contact. Females tending their eggsac chains exhibited two types of defensive behaviors when either the parasitoid Arachnopteromalus dasys or spiderlings were placed on their eggsacs. They jerked their webs and swept the eggsacs with their long front legs.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentix, 114 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-10022008-063248en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10022008-063248/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/35271en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1988.C885.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 18115937en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1988.C885en
dc.subject.lcshPredation (Biology)en
dc.subject.lcshSpiders -- Behavioren
dc.titleA study of disturbance behaviors in Uloborus glomosus (Araneae; Uloboridae) as possible predator avoidance strategiesen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineZoologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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