THE INFLUENCE OF PREDATOR REPRODUCTIVE STATE ON CHEMICALLY-MEDIATED ANTIPREDATOR BEHAVIOR AND SURVIVAL IN THE WOLF SPIDER HOGNA HELLUO
The wolf spider, Pardosa milvina, preys on spiderlings of another species of wolf spider, Hogna helluo. Wolf spiders are known to show defensive behavior in the presence of silk draglines and excreta from predatory wolf spiders; however, depending on their reproductive state, adult female wolf spiders may vary in the production of these cues as well as their proclivity to attack prey. We tested these hypotheses: 1) females with eggsacs are less dangerous predators than females without eggsacs, 2) Hogna spiderlings will show greater antipredator behavior in the presence of silk and excreta from a female without an eggsac than with an eggsac. We found that adult females without eggsacs were more dangerous predators and Hogna spiderlings reduced activity in the presence of silk and excreta from Pardosa but responses toward cues from egg sac- carrying predators and predators without egg sacs did not differ significantly.
