Prey of selected epigeic velvet spiders (Araneae: Eresidae)

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62156489%3A43410%2F25%3A43927434" target="_blank" >RIV/62156489:43410/25:43927434 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2025.027" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2025.027</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.14411/eje.2025.027" target="_blank" >10.14411/eje.2025.027</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Prey of selected epigeic velvet spiders (Araneae: Eresidae)

Original language description

The natural prey of spiders has been studied in only a few species, which limits our understanding of their role in ecosystems. Eresid spiders often have a hidden lifestyle; thus, their ecology is still poorly understood. Here we investigated the natural prey of four species of ground-dwelling eresid spiders from Israel - Adonea fimbriata, Dorceus fastuosus, Eresus sp., and Loureedia annulipes - and one (Eresus kollari) from Central Europe. In the last species, we studied the prey in more detail: we compared the natural with the potential prey and investigated prey acceptance using six prey types (Blattodea, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Isopoda, and Orthoptera) under semi-field conditions. The natural prey was studied by analysing the exoskeleton remains of prey found in the webs. We found that the prey composition in the webs differed significantly among species, though two insect groups, beetles and ants, dominated in all eresid species. Among beetles, tenebrionids were the most frequent in eresid species from Israel, while carabids dominated in E. kollari. Beside these beetles, weevils were frequent prey in all examined species. The index of the trophic niche breadth was narrow in all examined species, indicating trophic specialisation; however, feeding trials revealed that E. kollari accepted a wide variety of prey types, showing that it is a generalist opportunistic predator. All eresid species studied here appear to be stenophagous generalists, capturing mainly beetles and ants.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10618 - Ecology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

European Journal of Entomology

ISSN

1802-8829

e-ISSN

1802-8829

Volume of the periodical

122

Issue of the periodical within the volume

28 August

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

219-227

UT code for WoS article

001710646800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105026684320