Abstract
Web-building spiders are important models for sexual selection. While our understanding of post-copulatory mechanisms including sperm competition and cryptic female choice is considerable, our knowledge of courtship and how it influences male and female mating decisions is still extremely poor. Here, we provide the first comprehensive description of male courtship behaviour and vibrations generated in the web by the orb-web spider, Argiope keyserlingi – a recognised model species. We identified three main elements of male courtship: shudders, abdominal wags and mating thread dances (including both plucks and bounces). The vibrations generated by these behaviours are described in detail. Male shuddering behaviour appears to have a strong influence on female latency to mate acceptance, with males that shudder at high rates without compromising shudder duration being preferred. Shuddering behaviour may also mediate female aggressive behaviour, with males that generate long shudders less likely to be cannibalised after copulation. Male abdominal wagging behaviour, however, appears to have only limited influence on female mating decisions. This study provides avenues for future work that synthesises pre- and post-copulatory mechanisms in web-building spiders to generate an all-encompassing model of how sexual selection operates.
Highlights
The value of spiders, web-building spiders, as model systems for sexual selection is becoming increasingly evident [1,2]
Female preference for a mate in orb-web spiders is often measured by latency to move onto the mating thread and copula duration [3,11]
This appears to contrast with Argiope bruennichi, in which males with a short courtship duration had a significantly reduced paternity share compared to males that courted for longer durations [29]
Summary
The value of spiders, web-building spiders, as model systems for sexual selection is becoming increasingly evident [1,2]. One of the first pieces of evidence for cryptic female choice comes from an orb-web spider [3,4]. Work with a range of spider species (e.g. Linyphia, Latrodectus, Nephila and Argiope) has made significant contributions to our understanding of patterns of sperm competition [5,6,7,8,9]. While we have a detailed account of post-copulatory mechanisms in web-building spiders, we still understand very little about pre-copulatory courtship, its function, mechanism or evolution [10]. This represents a significant gap in our understanding. Courtship is of potentially significant importance for female choice and the resulting post-copulatory mechanisms
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
