Summary
Field studies were carried out to clarify the growth pattern, egg production and changes in the population density of the spider,Nephila clavata, in relation to food conditions.
-
1.
Larger individuals, which might have consumed more amount of food, became gravid earlier (early October), but even smaller ones also became gravid by early November. The difference of body size in mature females was greater than those reported in other species.
-
2.
The rate of growth and the fecundity were greater in the plot where food was more abundant, and the number of individuals in the early part of the development period in the following year was also greater in that plot.
-
3.
Although the population densities in the early part of the development period differed considerably between the two study plots, the difference became obscure after September when almost all spiders had matured. This suggests that the number of adult individuals had little relation to that of juveniles.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Anderson, J. F. (1974) Responses to starvation in the spiderLycosa lenta (Hentz) andFilistata hibernalisis (Hentz).Ecology55: 576–585.
Baars, M. A. andT. S. van Dijk (1984) Population dynamics of two carabid beetles at a Dutch Heathland. II. Egg production and survival in relation to density.J. Anim. Ecol.53: 389–400.
Fujii, Y. (1972) Study of energy utility efficiency inAgelena opulentaL. Koch (Aranea: Agelenidae).Bull. Nippon. Dental Coll., General Education No. 1: 79–95.
Greenstone, M. H. (1978) The numerical response to prey availability ofPardosa ramulosa (McCook) (Araneae: Lycosidae) and its relationship to the role of spiders in the balance of nature.Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond.42: 183–193.
Horton, C. C. andD. H. Wise (1983) The experimental analysis of competition between two syntopic species of orb-web spiders (Araneae: Araneidae).Ecology64: 929–944.
Hurd, L. E. andR. M. Eisenberg (1984) Experimental density manipulations of the predatorTenodera sinensis (Orthoptera: Mantidae) in an old field community. I. Mortality, development and dispersal of juvenile mantids.J. Anim. Ecol.53: 269–281.
Iwao, S. andE. Kuno (1971) An approach to the analysis of aggregation pattern in biological populations. 461–513. InG. P. Patil, E. C. Pielou andW. E. Waters (eds)Statistical ecology, Vol. 1. Pennsylvania State University Press.
Kajak, A. (1965) An analysis of food relations between the spiderAraneus cornutus andA. quadratus and their potential prey in meadows.Ecol. Pol. A13: 717–768.
Kobayashi, S. (1975) The effect ofDrosophila release on the spider population in a paddy field.Appl. Ent. Zool.10: 268–274
Lawton, J. H. (1971) Maximum and actual feeding-rates in larvae of the damselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) (Odonata: Zygoptera).Freshwater Biology1: 99–111.
Lenski, R. E. (1984) Food limitation and competition: A field experiment with twoCarabus species.J. Anim. Ecol.53: 203–214.
Matsura, T., T. Inoue, andY. Hosomi (1975) Ecological studies of a mantid,Paratenodera angustipennisde Sauaaure. I. Evaluation of the feeding condition in natural habitats.Res. Popul. Ecol.17: 64–76.
Matsura, T. andK. Morooka (1983) Influences of prey density on fecundity in a mantis,Paratenodera angustipennis (S.)Oecologia56: 306–312.
Miyashita, K. (1968a) Quantitative feeding biology ofLycosa T-insignitaBoes et.Str. (Araneae: Lycosidae).Bull. Nat. Inst. Agric. Sci.22: 329–344.
Miyashita, K. (1968b) Growth and development ofLycosa T-insignita (Araneae: Lycosidae) under different feeding conditions.Appl. Ent. Zool.3: 81–88.
Nakamura, K. (1982) Prey capture tactics of spiders: an analysis based on a simulation model for spider's growth.Res. Popul. Ecol.24: 303–317.
Rypstra, A. L. (1983) The importance of food and space in limiting web-spider densities; a test using field enclosures.Eocologia59: 312–316.
Smith, D. R. R. (1983) Ecological costs and benefits of communal behaviour in a presocial spider.Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.13: 93–106.
Turnbull, A. L. (1962) Quantitative studies of the food ofLinyphia triangularis (Clerk). (Araneae: Linyphiidae).Can. Entomol.94: 1233–1249.
Turnbull, A. L. (1965) Effects of prey abundance on the development of the spiderAgelenopsis potteri (Blackwell) (Araneae: Agelenidae).Can. Entomol.97: 141–147.
Turnbull, A. L. (1966) A population of spiders and their potential prey in an overgrazed pasture in eastern Ontario.Can. J. Zool.44: 557–583.
Waldorf, E. S. (1976) Spider size, microhabitat selection, and use of food.Amer. Mid. Nat.96: 76–87.
Wise, D. H. (1976) Food limitation of the spiderLinyphia marginata; experimental field studies.Ecology56: 637–646.
Wise, D. H. (1979) Effects of an experimental increase in prey abundance upon the reproductive rates of two orb-weaving spider species.Oecologia41: 289–300.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miyashita, T. Growth, egg production, and population density of the spider,Nephila clavata in relation to food conditions in the field. Res Popul Ecol 28, 135–149 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02515542
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02515542