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The Roles of Ecological and Phylogenetic Conditions in the Occurrence and Frequency of Sexual Cannibalism in Spiders

Wilder, Shawn M

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Zoology.
Sexual cannibalism, the consumption of a male by a female in the context of mating, is a dramatic form of sexual conflict that occurs in spiders and praying mantids. Among spiders, the frequency of sexual cannibalism is quite variable. However, no general hypotheses have emerged to explain variation in the frequency of sexual cannibalism among taxa. The goal of this dissertation was to explore ecological and phylogenetic factors that may be responsible for variation in the frequency of sexual cannibalism within and among species of spiders. I first review the literature to create a framework to describe how ecological (i.e. food and mate availability) and phylogenetic (i.e. genetic correlations, feeding mode, mating behavior and sexual size dimorphism) influence the frequency of sexual cannibalism. I then conducted three studies to test aspects of the framework that are poorly understood. I first tested how food quality affects female aggression towards males in the wolf spider, Pardosa milvina. Females fed nutrient-supplemented prey items were more likely to attack males and engage in sexual cannibalism, which is contrary to the predictions. I also tested the role of mate availability (e.g. exposure or mating) on sexual cannibalism in Hogna helluo. While exposure to the opposite sex had few effects, mating status of males and females affected sexual cannibalism. Finally, I examined the role of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) for the frequency of sexual cannibalism within and among species of spiders. In H. helluo, females were much more likely to cannibalize the male when the degree of SSD was large. The same pattern held among species, with a higher frequency of sexual cannibalism in species with high degrees of SSD. The results of these studies and evidence in published literature suggest that female hunger and male vulnerability to female attacks (e.g. SSD) are major determinants of the occurrence of sexual cannibalism. Hence, while previous studies have suggested a polyphyletic origin of sexual cannibalism through several different hypotheses, my results suggest that female foraging (i.e. viewing sexual cannibalism as a predator/prey interaction) may be a more parsimonious explanation for the evolution of this behavior among taxa.
Ann Rypstra (Advisor)
127 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wilder, S. M. (2007). The Roles of Ecological and Phylogenetic Conditions in the Occurrence and Frequency of Sexual Cannibalism in Spiders [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1196455109

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wilder, Shawn. The Roles of Ecological and Phylogenetic Conditions in the Occurrence and Frequency of Sexual Cannibalism in Spiders. 2007. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1196455109.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wilder, Shawn. "The Roles of Ecological and Phylogenetic Conditions in the Occurrence and Frequency of Sexual Cannibalism in Spiders." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1196455109

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)