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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Fine Dining Or Fortress? Functional Shifts In Spider Web Architecture By The Western Black Widow Latrodectus Hesperus, Todd Blackledge, Jacquelyn Zevenbergen, Nicole Schneider
Fine Dining Or Fortress? Functional Shifts In Spider Web Architecture By The Western Black Widow Latrodectus Hesperus, Todd Blackledge, Jacquelyn Zevenbergen, Nicole Schneider
Todd A. Blackledge
Spiders alter web architecture in response to many environmental factors. Yet, the functional implications of this behavioural plasticity are poorly understood, especially for spiders that spin long-lasting webs such as cobwebs. The western black widow spins a three-dimensional web that captures terrestrial prey and can persist for many days. However, the shape of the cobweb depends upon changes in the spider's body condition. Starved spiders invest more silk in sticky gumfooted threads, whereas sated spiders invest more silk in supporting threads. We tested the hypothesis that the increased investment in sticky gumfooted threads by starved spiders functions to improve the …
Differential Consumption Of Four Aphid Species By Four Lady Beetle Species, Christy Finlayson, Andrei Alyokhin, Serena Gross, Erin Porter
Differential Consumption Of Four Aphid Species By Four Lady Beetle Species, Christy Finlayson, Andrei Alyokhin, Serena Gross, Erin Porter
Andrei Alyokhin
The acceptability of four different aphid species Macrosiphum albifrons (Essig), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Macrosiphum pseudorosae Patch, and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), as prey for four lady beetle species, one native species Coccinella trifasciata L, and three non-native Coccinella septempunctata L, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata L (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were tested in the laboratory. The relative field abundance of adults of the same lady beetle species on host vegetation, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindley (Fabales: Fabaceae), Solanum tuberosum L (Solanales: Solanaceae), and Rosa multiflora Thunberg (Rosales: Rosaceae), both with and without aphids present was also observed. In the laboratory, H. axyridis generally …