Monday, December 10, 2001 -
D0200

Aggressive chemical mimicry by a bolas spider: Coordination of hunting tactics with availability of two species of prey

Kenneth F. Haynes1, Kenneth V. Yeargan1, and Cesar Gemeno2. (1) University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S-225 Agriculture Science Center-North, Lexington, KY, (2) North Carolina State University, Department of Entomology, Box 7613, Raleigh, NC

Adult females of a bolas spider, Mastophora hutchinsoni attract moth prey by aggressively mimicking their sex pheromones. We explored questions related to how the spider coordinates its hunting activities with seasonal and nightly changes in the availability of mate-seeking prey species.

Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Lacinipolia renigera (bristly cutworm)
Species 2: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Tetanolita mynesalis
Species 3: Araneae Araneidae Mastophora hutchinsoni
Keywords: pheromone mimicry, behavioral plasticity

The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA