Nest usurpation: a specialised hunting strategy used to overcome dangerous spider prey

Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F19%3A00107941" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/19:00107941 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41664-6" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41664-6</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41664-6" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-019-41664-6</a>

Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Nest usurpation: a specialised hunting strategy used to overcome dangerous spider prey
Original language description
Hunting other predators is dangerous, as the tables can turn and the hunter may become the hunted. Specialized araneophagic (spider eating) predators have evolved intriguing hunting strategies that allow them to invade spiders' webs by adopting a stealthy approach or using aggressive mimicry. Here, we present a newly discovered, specialized hunting strategy of the araneophagic spider Poecilochroa senilis (Araneae:Gnaphosidae), which forces its way into the silk retreat of the potential spider prey and immobilizes it by swathing gluey silk onto its forelegs and mouthparts. Poecilochroa senilis has been reported from the nests of a several, often large, spider species in the Negev desert (Israel), suggesting specialization on spiders as prey. Nevertheless, in laboratory experiments, we found that P. senilis has a wider trophic niche, and fed readily on several small insect species. The specialized nest-invading attack was used more frequently with large spiders, and even small juvenile P. senilis were able to attack and subdue larger spiders. Our observations show that specific hunting tactics, like nest usurpation, allow specialized predators to overcome defences of dangerous prey.
Czech name
—
Czech description
—

Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
—
OECD FORD branch
10600 - Biological sciences

Project
<a href="/en/project/GA15-14762S" target="_blank" >GA15-14762S: Coevolution of prey-specialisation and venom composition in spiders</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year
2019
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Similar results(10)