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Abiotic conditions rather than resource availability cues determine aerial dispersal behaviour in spiderlings of Dolomedes triton (Araneae: Pisauridae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2013

Carol M. Frost ,
Alice K. Graham  and
John R. Spence
Carol M. Frost*
Affiliation:
Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H1
Alice K. Graham
Affiliation:
Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H1
John R. Spence
Affiliation:
Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 751 General Services Building, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H1
*
2Corresponding author: School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand (e-mail: cmfrost@ualberta.ca).
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Abstract

Many species respond to risks and benefits of dispersal that vary over the short term through condition-dependent dispersal. We used wind tunnels to investigate how abiotic factors, spiderling age, and indicators of environmental quality affect aerial dispersal behaviour of spiderlings in Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer) (Araneae: Pisauridae), a denizen of temporary habitats. More than half of all spiderlings exhibited preballooning, ballooning, or spanning behaviours. Warm temperatures (>22.5 °C) and low wind speeds (<2.0 m/second) increased aerial dispersal. Aerial dispersal behaviour increased significantly until 5 days after hatch, after which it decreased, coinciding with the onset of active hunting by spiderlings. In contrast, cues about ambient food availability (egg sac number and food limitation of the mother) and potential resource competition or risk of cannibalism (conspecific density) did not affect aerial dispersal propensity. Offspring from different females ballooned in different proportions, except at the peak of dispersal, but a female's reproductive output and propensity of her offspring to balloon were uncorrelated. Thus, it appears that spiderlings of D. triton adopt a fixed strategy of high dispersal rate under optimal abiotic conditions, rather than reducing dispersal in response to cues about local food availability or conspecific density.

Résumé

En réponse aux risques et bénéfices de la dispersion qui varient à court terme, de nombreuses espèces adaptent leur dispersion aux conditions environnementales. Nous avons utilisé des tubes ventilés pour évaluer l'influence des facteurs abiotiques, de l’âge des araignées et d'indicateurs environnementaux sur le comportement de dispersion aérienne d'araignées juvéniles Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer) (Araneae: Pisauridae) peuplant des habitats temporaires. La majorité des juvéniles ont montré un pré-ballonnement, ballonnement, ou un comportement de « spanning ». Les températures chaudes (>22.5 °C) et les vents faibles (<2.0 m/s) ont favorisé leur dispersion. Les comportements facilitant la dispersion se sont significativement accentués jusqu'au 5e jour après l’éclosion, pour ensuite diminuer lors de l'instauration de la prédation active. En revanche, les facteurs indiquant la disponibilité des ressources (nombre de sacs d’œufs, restriction alimentaire maternelle), la compétition intraspécifique ou le cannibalisme (densité intraspécifique), n'ont pas influencé leur propension à la dispersion. En dehors du pic de dispersion, la proportion de juvéniles ballonnés différait selon les femelles, mais leur fertilité n’était pas corrélée avec la tendance au ballonnement de leur progéniture. Les juvéniles de D. triton auraient donc adopté une stratégie favorisant d'importants taux de dispersion lors de conditions abiotiques optimales, au lieu de les réduire lors de limitations liées aux ressources ou à la densité intraspécifique.

Type
Behaviour & Ecology
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 145 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 29 - 39
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2013

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