Aliens in the society: foreign arthropods and small vertebrates associated with the social spider Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch, 1892 (Araneae: Eresidae)

Jani, Maitry and Caleb, John T.D. and Kapoor, Vena and Kulkarni, Siddharth and Uma, Divya (2023) Aliens in the society: foreign arthropods and small vertebrates associated with the social spider Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch, 1892 (Araneae: Eresidae). The Journal of Arachnology, 51 (1). ISSN 0161-8202

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Abstract

Animals use nests for various functions including laying eggs, raising young and gaining protection from predators. Social insect colonies provide rich microhabitats for various foreign inhabitants. Social spiders in the family Eresidae live in large, long-lasting colonies with a dense silken nest where spiders reside in complex capture webs. Social spider colonies contain several organisms apart from the host spiders, yet little is known about the foreign species and their roles. In this study, we cataloged foreign animals found in the nests and webs of the Indian social spider Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch, 1892 from different sites in India. We then examined the abundance and diversity of foreign spiders in adult and juvenile colonies, and the nature of interaction of foreign spiders with host S. sarasinorum spiders. We found spiders classified into nine families and insects classified into five orders and a few small vertebrate taxa associated with S. sarasinorum colonies. Adult S. sarasinorum nests and webs contained significantly more foreign spiders than juvenile colonies. However, diversity of foreign spiders did not increase with the number of host spiders. Additionally, we found that foreign spiders found inside the nests preyed on individual S. sarasinorum spiders. Our study sheds light onto the intriguing biology of nest- and web-associates of social spiders.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Jani, Maitry and Caleb, John T.D. and Kapoor, Vena and Kulkarni, Siddharth and Uma, Divya
Document Language:	Language English
Subjects:	Natural Sciences > Chemistry & allied sciences Natural Sciences > Life sciences; biology > Biochemistry Natural Sciences > Life sciences; biology > Microorganisms, fungi & algae
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > School of Arts and Sciences
Full Text Status:	None
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/7040
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-22-004

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