Anim Behav 28:1110–1118ĭawkins R, Krebs JR (1979) Arms races between and within species. (Araneae: Araneidae): functional analysis of the egg sac. J Arachnol 12:357–361Ĭhristenson TE, Wenzl PA (1980) Egg laying of the Golden Silk Spider, Nephila clavipes L. Trans Conn Acad Arts and Sciences 44:59–67Ĭarico JE (1984) Secondary use of the removed orb-web by Mecynogea lemniscata (Walckenear) (Araneae: Araneidae). Ann Entomol Soc Amer 18:240–250īrower LP, Brower JV (1972) Parallelism, convergence, divergence, and the new concept of advergence in the evolution of mimicry. Aust J Zool 26:501–518Īuten M (1925) Insects associated with spider nests. J Nat Hist 19:359–376Īustin AD, Anderson DT (1978) Reproduction and development of the spider Nephila edulis (Koch) (Araneae: Araneidae). These results also support a close evolutionary relationship between cocoon architecture and specialized predators.Īskew RR (1971) Parasitic Insects, Heineman Educational Books, LondonĪustin AD (1985) The function of spider egg sacs in relation to parasitoids and predators, with special reference to the Australian fauna. These findings support suggestions that the primary role of the cocoon is to provide protection from predators and parasites. Cocoon covers function primarily as barriers to specialists that use active “burrowing” larvae to gain entrance into the cocoon, while the flocculent silk layer is shown to be an effective barrier against specialists which use a long ovipositor to attack cocoons.

Various component layers of these cocoons are shown, however, to be an effective barrier against the attack modes of specific predator guilds. Cocoon covers were found to be generally ineffective against generalist predators. Evidence presented here suggests that the suspension systems of Mecynogea lemniscata and Argiope aurantia cocoons are effective barriers against small generalists such as ants, but fail to stop large generalists such as birds. This study tests hypotheses regarding spider cocoons and their suspension systems as barriers to generalist and specialist predators.

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