Poster Session
Location
Memorial Ballroom, Hall Campus Center
Access Type
Open Access
Entry Number
28
Start Date
4-10-2019 12:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2019 1:15 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Biomedical Science
Abstract
Female Dolomedes scriptus, the striped fishing spider, serve as model organisms exhibiting pheromone production as a means of chemical signaling. Previous work has shown that male fishing spiders are responsive to female silk, and preferentially court in the presence of silk from mature virgins. In our research, we hypothesized that mature females produced larger quantities of silk than penultimate females in an attempt to elicit greater male mating response. Female spiders of both age statuses were kept for two days in a gridded tank. Sub-sampling of silk lines that crossed a random portion of the grid produced results signifying the variation of silk production between statuses. Mature female spiders produced more silk than penultimate females suggesting that females facultatively use silk to enhance male search, thus potentially increasing their encounter rate with suitable males. Further analysis of male behavioral responses to deposited female silk fails to support the previous findings, but this may be due to experimental limitations.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Kari Benson Dr. Nancy Cowden Dr. Jason Crumpton
Rights Statement
The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.
Included in
Animal Studies Commons, Behavior and Ethology Commons, Chemistry Commons, Entomology Commons
Age Status Effects on Female Silk Production and Male Courtship Response in Dolomedes scriptus
Memorial Ballroom, Hall Campus Center
Female Dolomedes scriptus, the striped fishing spider, serve as model organisms exhibiting pheromone production as a means of chemical signaling. Previous work has shown that male fishing spiders are responsive to female silk, and preferentially court in the presence of silk from mature virgins. In our research, we hypothesized that mature females produced larger quantities of silk than penultimate females in an attempt to elicit greater male mating response. Female spiders of both age statuses were kept for two days in a gridded tank. Sub-sampling of silk lines that crossed a random portion of the grid produced results signifying the variation of silk production between statuses. Mature female spiders produced more silk than penultimate females suggesting that females facultatively use silk to enhance male search, thus potentially increasing their encounter rate with suitable males. Further analysis of male behavioral responses to deposited female silk fails to support the previous findings, but this may be due to experimental limitations.