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Courtship Signaling, Sexual Selection, and the Potential for Acoustic Communication in the “Purring” Wolf Spider Gladicosa Gulosa

Sweger, Alexander L

Abstract Details

2017, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences.
Animals communicate across any number of diverse modalities, including multiple modalities simultaneously. Investigating the evolution of differing modalities often requires unique models and a thorough dissection of the pressures that shape the emergence and continued changing of conspecific signals. Vibration, as a modality for communication, is both incredibly widespread (particularly in insects and spiders) and poorly investigated relative to its most closely associated modality, airborne sound. Spiders, in particular, are an excellent model for studying vibration, and they uniquely do not seem to directly perceive airborne sound. This is especially intriguing when considering certain species, such as the `purring’ wolf spider Gladicosa gulosa, that produce an audible sound during courtship interactions, raising questions about both how and why this sound exists. This thesis sets out to provide quantitative demonstrations of the nature and structure of the courtship signal, investigate the possible mechanisms and value of producing and receiving this signal, and suggest a potential explanation for the evolution of this signaling phenomenon. I recorded and characterized the male courtship signal in this species in both vibratory and acoustic modalities, and identified behaviors that were significantly predictive of mating success for both males and females, as well as their relative correlations to one another. I also measured the role of the substrate in both signal production and reception of the acoustic signal, and provided evidence of behavioral shifts in response to isolated conspecific acoustic signals. Finally, I set these data within a broader context of North American wolf spiders and suggest an evolutionary framework for the evolution of the G. gulosa signal. I found that this species is unique in the strength of its signal relative to other species, but not in the mechanisms it uses for production, and the airborne signal appears to be largely a byproduct of an abnormally strong vibration. However, this byproduct is still detectable and produces a marked response in females, which in turn may drive signal exaggeration through copulatory decisions. Ultimately, this all fits into a framework through which a truly adaptive acoustic signal might emerge, and I lay out both the potential process for this emergence as well as the future studies needed to fully demonstrate this phenomenon.
George Uetz, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Elke Buschbeck, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
John Layne, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Michal Polak, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Peter Scheifele, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
130 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sweger, A. L. (2017). Courtship Signaling, Sexual Selection, and the Potential for Acoustic Communication in the “Purring” Wolf Spider Gladicosa Gulosa [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1504781228686818

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sweger, Alexander. Courtship Signaling, Sexual Selection, and the Potential for Acoustic Communication in the “Purring” Wolf Spider Gladicosa Gulosa. 2017. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1504781228686818.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sweger, Alexander. "Courtship Signaling, Sexual Selection, and the Potential for Acoustic Communication in the “Purring” Wolf Spider Gladicosa Gulosa." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1504781228686818

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)