INFLUENCE OF FEEDING REGIME ON BODY SIZE, BODY CONDITION AND A MALE SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTER IN SCHIZOCOSA OCREATA WOLF SPIDERS (ARANEAE, LYCOSIDAE): CONDITION-DEPENDENCE IN A VISUAL SIGNALING TRAIT

By G. Uetz, R. Papke, B. Kilinc. 2002

132 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Male Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) wolf spiders (Araneae, Lycosidae) have tufts of elongated, dark bristles on the patella and tibia of the forelegs, which are involved in visual signaling. Previous research has suggested that these tufts are used by females as a criterion in mate choice, raising the question of whether they might serve as indicators of male condition. We tested the hypothesis that tufts are condition-dependent indicator traits with a laboratory rearing study subjecting spiders to lifelong feeding regimens representing successful (high food) and unsuccessful (low food) foraging history, after which males were measured upon reaching adulthood. Mortality varied significantly with experimental treatment, and had a disproportionate impact on some egg sacs assigned to the low food treatment. Age at sexual maturity and several body size measures varied significantly with feeding history. Well-fed spiders survived better, matured earlier, were significantly larger, and were in relatively better condition (measured as a residual body condition index) than deprived spiders. Additionally, well-fed spiders had significantly larger relative tuft size (scaled for body size). These data suggest that male body size, condition and a conspicuous male signaling trait vary with feeding history, and thus have the potential to serve as “honest indicators” of male quality in mate choice.

Subfields: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Genetics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/569641fa122f4ba5261ab5187faefeef625f1526

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Citations in the corpus

Diet influences mate choice selectivity in adult female wolf spiders (2008, methodology): “ocreata (brush-legged males) (Uetz et al., 2002), this is the first study to document condition-dependent mate choice in a spider.”
Courtship effort is a better predictor of mating success than ornamentation for male wolf spiders (2009, background): “For example, previous work has demonstrated that the male foreleg tufts in Schizocosa ocreata are condition-dependent (Uetz et al. 2002) and females are known to choose males based on tuft size and symmetry (McClintock and Uetz 1996; Scheffer et al. 1996; Uetz and Smith 1999; Persons and Uetz 2005;…”
MATING FREQUENCY IN SCHIZOCOSA OCREATA (HENTZ) WOLF SPIDERS: EVIDENCE FOR A MATING SYSTEM WITH FEMALE MONANDRY AND MALE POLYGYNY (2005, background): “…influenced by sperm precedence patterns arising from the morphology of the reproductive tract of the female (Austad 1984; Eberhard 1985), although recent studies have revealed exceptions (Eberhard et al. 1993; Watson 1993; Eberhard & Cordero 1995; Elgar 1998; Uhl 1994, 1998; Schaefer & Uhl 2002).”
Seismic communication and mate choice in wolf spiders: components of male seismic signals and mating success (2008, methodology): “…the measure used in this study (a masse cephalothorax width residual BCI) has been found to be useful in studies of this and other lycosid species because it has no relationship with body length and has been confirmed by feeding studies (Jakob et al. 1996; Marshall et al. 1999; Uetz et al. 2002).”
Sexual cannibalism and mate choice decisions in wolf spiders: influence of male size and secondary sexual characters (2005, background): “Tufts may also serve as an honest indicator of male quality to a female, as relative (residualized) tuft size was significantly correlated with body condition indices in this and several other studies (see Uetz 2000; Uetz et al. 2002).”
Male signaling behavior and sexual selection in a wolf spider (Araneae: Lycosidae): a test for dual functions (2007, background): “…decorative tufts of bristles on the forelegs, which have been demonstrated to serve as a visual, condition-indicating trait influencing female mate choice (Scheffer et al. 1996; McClintock and Uetz 1996; Uetz et al. 1996; Uetz et al. 2002) and, in some cases, male–male contests (Uetz et al. 1996).”
Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments (2011, background): “Similar condition-dependent display components have been found across several lycosids (e.g., Kotiaho, 2000; Uetz et al., 2002; Gibson and Uetz, 2008; Hebets et al., 2008b; Shamble et al., 2009; Rundus et al., In Press).”
Preference for male traits in female wolf spiders varies with the choice of available males, female age and reproductive state (2007, background): “These tufts are a secondary sexual trait of males, which may serve as a condition indicator and/or display amplifier (Hebets and Uetz 1999, 2000; Uetz et al. 2002; Uetz 2000; Uetz and Roberts 2002).”