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Chivalry In Pholcid Spiders Revisited, Julie A. Blanchong, Michael S. Summerfield, Mary A. Popson, Elizabeth M. Jakob

Julie A. Blanchong

Cohabiting pairs of adult spiders are likely to interact over prey, and the outcome of these interactions is likely to affect the reproductive success of both individuals. In two species of pholcid spiders, previous workers reported the occurrence of "chivalrous" behavior, in which males cede prey to females. We looked for the occurrence of chivalrous behavior in another pholcid spider, Holocnemus pluchei. Pairs of spiders were placed on a web and left overnight without prey. A housefly was then introduced onto the web equidistant from the spiders, and subsequent interactions were noted on audiotape. We found no evidence of chivalry …