Assessing the Importance of Chemosensory Cues in Web-Building Spiders

Abstract

Spiders rely on chemosensory cues to help locate prey, evade predators, and select mates. This reliance on chemosensory detection makes spiders an ideal organism for inquiry-based projects that students can design and conduct on a shoestring budget. This investigation, designed for secondary education grades (6–12), encourages students to examine whether chemosensory cues influence web construction of harmless female spiders collected from backyard habitats. Students work in groups to develop hypotheses that they later test by introducing spiders into a simple T-maze containing some mix of chemosensory cues. To pilot this study, I designed two experiments to determine how female spiders construct their webs in response to chemosensory cues of potential prey or dangerous fire ants. The data from both projects were compiled and statistically analyzed using open-source software available online. In a classroom or laboratory setting, your students can work in groups to develop their own hypotheses, design and run their experiments, and statistically analyze their results using the same free software. Although simple in design, this activity provides students with an opportunity to develop novel lines of research inquiry and engage in the practice of science.