Silk Production in Mature and Penultimate Female Dolomedes scriptus
Location
Hopwood Auditorium
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Entry Number
112
Start Date
4-5-2023 1:45 PM
End Date
4-5-2023 2:00 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Biology
Abstract
Reproductive behavior requires that males and females can find one another at the appropriate life stages. While many forms of signaling may be useful, the form of signaling can be crucial for organisms that move slowly or live in complex environments. For those organisms at risk of predation, developing subtle cues can also be important to avoid risks. In earlier work, it was demonstrated that male fishing spiders (Dolomedes scriptus) can discern the mating status of females on the basis of their silk, however no specific chemical signals have been identified. Here, we test whether mature females may produce more silk, either as an adjunct to a chemical signal, or in lieu of one. Penultimate and mature female spiders were systematically placed in arenas designed to measure their natural silk output patterns. We failed to detect any difference in silk output in relation to maturity status. This strengthens the argument for chemical pheromones being present in female silk, effective after completion of maturation. Further investigation into what the exact chemicals being used would prove beneficial to the argument for chemical pheromones.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Kari Benson Dr. Takashi Maie Dr. Price Blair
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Silk Production in Mature and Penultimate Female Dolomedes scriptus
Hopwood Auditorium
Reproductive behavior requires that males and females can find one another at the appropriate life stages. While many forms of signaling may be useful, the form of signaling can be crucial for organisms that move slowly or live in complex environments. For those organisms at risk of predation, developing subtle cues can also be important to avoid risks. In earlier work, it was demonstrated that male fishing spiders (Dolomedes scriptus) can discern the mating status of females on the basis of their silk, however no specific chemical signals have been identified. Here, we test whether mature females may produce more silk, either as an adjunct to a chemical signal, or in lieu of one. Penultimate and mature female spiders were systematically placed in arenas designed to measure their natural silk output patterns. We failed to detect any difference in silk output in relation to maturity status. This strengthens the argument for chemical pheromones being present in female silk, effective after completion of maturation. Further investigation into what the exact chemicals being used would prove beneficial to the argument for chemical pheromones.