Abstract
Social spiders consistently show highly female-biased sex ratios. However, the sex ratio of subsocial spiders, which have been suggested as an intermediate stage of the evolutionary pathway towards permanent sociality, is generally unknown. We investigated the sex ratio and approximate date of fertilization of the subsocial spider, Amaurobius ferox Walckenaer (Araneae: Amaurobiidae). Investigation over 2 years revealed that sex ratio of A. ferox was consistent across years and averaged 0.49. By early May (1st 10th), 66.6% of female A. ferox observed in the field had already been inseminated, and by late May (21st 31st), 95.4% of females had been inseminated. This result suggests that A. ferox need a long time or cold temperatures to prepare them for reproduction after the developmental attainment of the adult stage.
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