Abstract
Risks of sociality, including competition and conspecific aggression, are particularly pronounced in venomous invertebrates such as arachnids. Spiders show a wide range of sociality, with differing levels of cannibalism and other types of social aggression. To have the greatest chance of surviving interactions with conspecifics, spiders must learn to assess and respond to risk. One of the major ways risk assessment is studied in spiders is via venom metering, in which spiders choose how much venom to use based on prey and predator characteristics. While venom metering in response to prey acquisition and predator defense is well-studied, less is known about its use in conspecific interactions. Here we argue that due to the wide range of both sociality and venom found in spiders, they are poised to be an excellent system for testing questions regarding whether and how venom use relates to the evolution of social behavior and, in return, whether social behavior influences venom use and evolution. We focus primarily on the widow spiders, Latrodectus, as a strong model for testing these hypotheses. Given that successful responses to risk are vital for maintaining sociality, comparative analysis of spider taxa in which venom metering and sociality vary can provide valuable insights into the evolution and maintenance of social behavior under risk.
Highlights
Key Contribution: Here we review work suggesting that spiders, and Latrodectus in particular, represent an excellent model system for examining the role venom may play in the evolution of sociality and vice versa
Many social species benefit from cooperation, though there are an assortment of risks associated with social behaviors, such as disease spread [1], predation threats [1], and conspecific competition [2,3]
While individuals in many taxa adjust their responses based on outcomes of social interactions [23], we understand little about the social ecology of venomous, cannibalistic species such as Latrodectus, where negative interactions could result in death
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Living juveniles and females frequently cannibalize their conspecifics, including kin [21,22] To survive in this high-risk social environment, Latrodectus individuals must recognize social risks and alter their behavior in response. While individuals in many taxa adjust their responses based on outcomes of social interactions [23], we understand little about the social ecology of venomous, cannibalistic species such as Latrodectus, where negative interactions could result in death. By exploring how individuals respond to social risk in a high-risk environment where consequences are amplified, we can reach a greater understanding of causes and consequences of social behavior Members of this genus are highly venomous and lie between traditional stair-steps of social categories. This review will focus primarily on non-eusocial arachnids and discuss the literature examining how cannibalistic, venomous taxa such as Latrodectus adapt to the inherent risks of social interaction, and how evolution of venom may be intricately intertwined with social behaviors
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