The World Spider Trait database: a centralized global open repository for curated data on spider traits

Spiders are a highly diversified group of arthropods and play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems as ubiquitous predators, which makes them a suitable group to test a variety of eco-evolutionary hypotheses. For this purpose, knowledge of a diverse range of species traits is required. Until now, data on spider traits have been scattered across thousands of publications produced for over two centuries and written in diverse languages. To facilitate access to such data, we developed an online database for archiving and accessing spider traits at a global scale. The database has been designed to accommodate a great variety of traits (e.g. ecological, behavioural and morphological) measured at individual, species or higher taxonomic levels. Records are accompanied by extensive metadata (e.g. location and method). The database is curated by an expert team, regularly updated and open to any user. A future goal of the growing database is to include all published and unpublished data on spider traits provided by experts worldwide and to facilitate broad cross-taxon assays in functional ecology and comparative biology.Fil: Pekár, Stano. Masaryk University; República ChecaFil: Wolff, Jonas O. University of Greifswald; AlemaniaFil: Cernecká, L'udmila. Slovak Academy of Sciences; ArgentinaFil: Birkhofer, Klaus. Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus; AlemaniaFil: Mammola, Stefano. University of Helsinki; FinlandiaFil: Lowe, Elizabeth C.. Macquarie University; AustraliaFil: Fukushima, Caroline S.. University of Helsinki; FinlandiaFil: Herberstein, Marie E.. Macquarie University; AustraliaFil: Kucera, Adam. Masaryk University; República ChecaFil: Buzatto, Bruno A.. University of Western Australia; AustraliaFil: Djoudi, El Aziz. Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus; AlemaniaFil: Domenech, Marc. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Enciso, Alison Vanesa. Fundación Protectora Ambiental Planadas Tolima; ColombiaFil: Piñanez Espejo, Yolanda María Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Febles, Sara. No especifíca;Fil: García, Luis F. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Gonçalves Souza, Thiago. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Isaia, Marco. Università di Torino; ItaliaFil: Lafage, Denis. Universite de Rennes I; FranciaFil: Líznarová, Eva. Masaryk University; República ChecaFil: Macías Hernández, Nuria. Universidad de La Laguna; EspañaFil: Fiorini de Magalhaes, Ivan Luiz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Malumbres Olarte, Jagoba. Universidade Dos Açores; PortugalFil: Michálek, Ondrej. Masaryk University; República ChecaFil: Michalik, Peter. ERNST MORITZ ARNDT UNIVERSITÄT GREIFSWALD (UG);Fil: Michalko, Radek. No especifíca;Fil: Milano, Filippo. Università di Torino; ItaliaFil: Munévar, Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Nentwig, Wolfgang. University of Bern; SuizaFil: Nicolosi, Giuseppe. Università di Torino; ItaliaFil: Painting, Christina J. No especifíca;Fil: Pétillon, Julien. Universite de Rennes I; FranciaFil: Piano, Elena. Università di Torino; ItaliaFil: Privet, Kaïna. Universite de Rennes I; FranciaFil: Ramirez, Martin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Ramos, Cândida. No especifíca;Fil: Rezác, Milan. No especifíca;Fil: Ridel, Aurélien. Universite de Rennes I; FranciaFil: Ruzicka, Vlastimil. No especifíca;Fil: Santos, Irene. No especifíca;Fil: Sentenská, Lenka. Masaryk University; República ChecaFil: Walker, Leilani. No especifíca;Fil: Wierucka, Kaja. Universitat Zurich; SuizaFil: Zurita, Gustavo Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Cardoso, Pedro. No especifíca

Resource defense polygyny shifts to female defense polygyny over the course of the reproductive season of a Neotropical harvestman

Although studies classify the polygynous mating system of a given species into female defense polygyny (FDP) or resource defense polygyny (RDP), the boundary between these two categories is often slight. Males of some species may even shift between these two types of polygyny in response to temporal variation in social and environmental conditions. Here, we examine the mating system of the Neotropical harvestman Acutisoma proximum and, in order to assess if mate acquisition in males corresponds to FDP or RDP, we tested four contrasting predictions derived from the mating system theory. At the beginning of the reproductive season, males fight with other males for the possession of territories on the vegetation where females will later oviposit, as expected in RDP. Females present a marked preference for specific host plant species, and males establish their territories in areas where these host plants are specially abundant, which is also expected in RDP. Later in the reproductive season, males reduce their patrolling activity and focus on defending individual females that are ovipositing inside their territories, as what occurs in FDP. This is the first described case of an arachnid that exhibits a shift in mating system over the reproductive season, revealing that we should be cautious when defining the mating system of a species based on few observations concentrated in a brief period6318594COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação02/00381-0; 03/05427-

Resource defense polygyny shifts to female defense polygyny over the course of the reproductive season of a Neotropical harvestman

Although studies classify the polygynous mating system of a given species into female defense polygyny (FDP) or resource defense polygyny (RDP), the boundary between these two categories is often slight. Males of some species may even shift between these two types of polygyny in response to temporal variation in social and environmental conditions. Here, we examine the mating system of the Neotropical harvestman Acutisoma proximum and, in order to assess if mate acquisition in males corresponds to FDP or RDP, we tested four contrasting predictions derived from the mating system theory. At the beginning of the reproductive season, males fight with other males for the possession of territories on the vegetation where females will later oviposit, as expected in RDP. Females present a marked preference for specific host plant species, and males establish their territories in areas where these host plants are specially abundant, which is also expected in RDP. Later in the reproductive season, males reduce their patrolling activity and focus on defending individual females that are ovipositing inside their territories, as what occurs in FDP. This is the first described case of an arachnid that exhibits a shift in mating system over the reproductive season, revealing that we should be cautious when defining the mating system of a species based on few observations concentrated in a brief period.FAPESP Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo[02/00381-0]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo[03/05427-0]Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Data from: Contrasting responses of pre- and post-copulatory traits to variation in mating competition

1. Original sperm competition theory assumed that males trade expenditure on searching for mates for expenditure on the ejaculate, and predicted that males should increase their expenditure on the ejaculate in response to increased risk of competition. A recent extension of this theory has modeled pre-copulatory expenditure in terms of direct contest competition, and predicts that when the gains from marginal investment in weaponry are large, males might be expected to allocate resources to armaments even at the expense of the ejaculate. 2. Here we examine socially cued plasticity in allocation to pre- (body condition) and post-copulatory (testes mass) traits in a male dimorphic beetle, Onthophagus taurus, where major males fight for access to females and minor males obtain reproductive success via sperm competition. Both male morphs were either reared in social isolation or exposed to rivals during the period of sexual maturation following adult emergence. 3. Testes mass was found to be insensitive to social cues of future mating competition for both major and minor males. Major males allocated more to body condition when exposed to rivals, a response expected for a species in which the outcome of dyadic contests strongly affect male reproductive success. In contrast, minor male allocation to condition was insensitive to social cues. 4. Our data illustrate how socially cued plasticity in pre- and post-copulatory traits can depend on the relative importance of these episodes of selection for individual male fitness. In O. taurus dung beetles, males strategically adjusted the amount of resources they allocated to winning pre-copulatory contests over access to females. Strategic allocation to pre-copulatory contest competition did not come at a cost to male investment in sperm competition, suggesting that males may trade investment into contest competition against some other life history trait, such as longevity. The lack of plasticity in testes size suggests that selection from sperm competition may be a relatively constant feature of this species mating system

Morphological measurements made from male dung beetles reared under different social conditions

Excel spreadsheet containing body mass, size and testes and soma mass, and their log10 transformed values. Data are provided for males reared under high or low competition environments, and males are identified as major (horned) or minor (hornless) males. Five outlying data points are highlighted

Comportamento reprodutivo de opiliões (arachnida): sistemas de acasalamento e cuidado parental

Opiliones (harvestmen) undergo a prolonged process of reproduction, which consists of finding a suitable mate, persuading the mate to copulate, succeeding in fertilization and oviposition, and, in some cases, protecting the brood. In most harvestman species studied so far the manner of mate acquisition is a type of resource defense polygyny in which males fight over territories containing the preferred sites for oviposition by females. In at least one species, Acutisoma proximum, there is a discontinuous variation in the lengths of the sexually dimorphic second pair of legs, which are used as weapons by larger males when fighting over territories. Males with a shorter pair of second legs do not fight for territories, but instead adopt an alternative mating tactic of furtively invading the harems of the larger males to copulate. After oviposition, females of many harvestman species of the superfamily Gonyleptoidea take care of their eggs and young nymphs. Maternal care in harvestmen is expected to evolve when: (1) females live long enough to watch over the offspring after oviposition, (2) females are capable of defending their offspring against potential predators, and (3) females have a single reproductive event during the breeding season, so that they can achieve greater reproductive success by defending their eggs until hatch. Although caring for the offspring negatively affects the fecundity of females, this behavior was demonstrated to play a crucial role in enhancing egg survival and preventing predation by conspecifics and other arthropods. In at least seven lineages of harvestmen of the suborder Laniatores, males are responsible for watching over the offspring. Whereas maternal care most likely evolved as a result of natural selection, paternal care in harvestmen seems to have evolved as a result of sexual selection. According to experimental evidence, males capable of providing paternal care are preferred by females and thus produce more brood than males unable and/or unwilling to provide paternal care. Additionally, it was shown that males tend to care for egg clutches from other males that were experimentally removed, as the eggs attract females. The reproductive biology of harvestmen is fascinating, and the clade provides an ideal and yet unexplored system for the study of sexual selectionPara se reproduzir, a maioria dos opiliões precisa passar por um longo processo, que envolve encontrar, selecionar e convencer um parceiro a copular, fertilizar os ovos, encontrar um local apropriado para oviposição e, em algumas espécies, proteger a prole. Em muitas espécies de opiliões, o sistema de acasalamento se enquadra na definição de poliginia por defesa de recursos, na qual os machos brigam pela posse de territórios que contêm sítios de oviposição preferidos pelas fêmeas. Em pelo menos uma espécie, Acutisoma proximum, existe uma variação descontínua no comprimento das pernas II, que são sexualmente dimórficas e usadas pelos machos grandes como armas em brigas territoriais. Machos com pernas II curtas não defendem territórios, mas adotam uma estratégia alternativa de acasalamento baseada na invasão de haréns protegidos pelos machos grandes, onde eles conseguem cópulas furtivas com as fêmeas. Após a oviposição, fêmeas de muitas espécies pertencentes à superfamília Gonyleptoidea cuidam dos ovos e das ninfas recém-eclodidas. Espera-se que o cuidado maternal em opiliões evolua apenas quando as fêmeas: (1) vivam o bastante para beneficiar a prole após a oviposição, (2) sejam capazes de defender a prole contra predadores e (3) restrinjam a reprodução a um único evento durante uma estação reprodutiva, de modo que elas obtenham um maior sucesso reprodutivo permanecendo com os ovos até a eclosão das ninfas. Embora o cuidado maternal diminua a fecundidade total das fêmeas guardiãs, este comportamento é crucial para a sobrevivência dos ovos, diminuindo a predação por co-específicos e outros artrópodes. Em pelo menos sete linhagens de opiliões pertencentes à subordem Laniatores, são os machos que cuidam da prole. Enquanto o cuidado maternal provavelmente evoluiu como resultado de seleção natural, o cuidado paternal em opiliões parece ter evoluído como resultado de seleção sexual. Estudos experimentais demonstraram que machos que provêm cuidado à prole são preferidos pelas fêmeas e obtêm um número maior de cópulas do que machos que não provêm cuidado. Adicionalmente, machos sem prole cuidam de desovas cujos pais foram removidos ? o que seria esperado dado que a presença de ovos é atrativa para as fêmeas. A biologia reprodutiva dos opiliões é um tema fascinante e o grupo oferece uma oportunidade ideal para estudar seleção sexual em um clado diverso e pouco explorado pelos ecólogos comportamentais.Para reproducirse, la mayoría de los opiliones necesitan pasar por un largo proceso que incluye encontrar, seleccionar y convencer a una pareja de copular, fertilizar los huevos, encontrar un lugar apropiado para la oviposición y, en algunas especies, proteger la progenie. En muchas especies de opiliones, el sistema de apareamiento es la poliginia por defensa de recursos, en la cual los machos pelean por la posesión de territorios que contienen sitios de oviposición preferidos por las hembras. Por lo menos en una especie, Acutisoma proximum, existe una variación discontinua en el largo de las patas II, que son sexualmente dimórficas y usadas por los machos grandes como armas en peleas por territorios. Los machos con las patas II cortas no defienden territorios, pero adoptan una estrategia de apareamiento alternativa basada en la invasión de harenes protegidos por los machos grandes, donde ellos logran obtener cópulas furtivas con las hembras. Después de la oviposición, las hembras de muchas especies pertenecientes a la superfamilia Gonyleptoidea cuidan de los huevos y de las ninfas recién eclosionadas. Se espera que el cuidado maternal en opiliones evolucione cuando las hembras: (1) vivan lo suficiente para beneficiar a la cría después de la oviposición, (2) sean capaces de defender la cría contra depredadores, y (3) restrinjan la reproducción a un único evento durante una estación reproductiva, de modo que ellas obtengan un mayor éxito reproductivo permaneciendo con los huevos hasta la eclosión de las ninfas. Aunque el cuidado maternal disminuya la fecundidad total de las hembras, este comportamiento es crucial para la supervivencia de los huevos, disminuyendo la depredación por conespecíficos y otros artrópodos. Por lo menos en siete linajes de opiliones pertenecientes al suborden Laniatores son los machos los que cuidan de la cría. Mientras el cuidado maternal probablemente evolucionó como resultado de la selección natural, el cuidado paternal en los opiliones parece haber evolucionado como resultado de la selección sexual. Estudios experimentales demostraron que machos que proveen cuidado a la cría son preferidos por las hembras y obtienen un mayor número de cópulas, que los machos que no proveen este cuidado. Adicionalmente, se ha observado que los machos sin prole cuidan las puestas de padres experimentalmente removidos, lo que es esperado porque la presencia de huevos es atractiva para las hembras. La biología reproductiva de los opiliones es un tema fascinante y el grupo ofrece una oportunidad ideal para estudiar selección sexual en un clado diverso y poco explorado por los ecólogos del comportamiento

Chemical communication in the gregarious psocid cerastipsocus sivorii (Psocoptera: Psocidae)

The objectives of this study were: (1) to test the existence of an aggregation pheromone in the gregarious psocid Cerastipsocus sivorii; (2) to compare the attractiveness of odors from different aggregations; (3) to test whether nymphs are able to chemically recognize damage-released alarm signals. In a choice experiment conducted in the laboratory, we showed that psocids are able to detect chemical cues from groups of conspecifics. Laboratory experiments also showed that nymphs are capable of chemically recognizing the aggregations where they came from. Finally, in a field experiment, most aggregations dispersed when exposed to the body fluids of a crushed conspecific, but no aggregations dispersed upon exposure to a crushed termite. The implications of these results for the evolution of sociality in psocopterans are discussed225388398FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP02/00381-0; 03/05427-0; 03/05418-

Data from: Benefits of polyandry: molecular evidence from field-caught dung beetles

When females mate with multiple males, they set the stage for post-copulatory sexual selection via sperm competition and/or cryptic female choice. Surprisingly little is known about the rates of multiple mating by females in the wild, despite the importance of this information in understanding the potential for post-copulatory sexual selection to drive the evolution of reproductive behavior, morphology, and physiology. Dung beetles in the genus Onthophagus have become a laboratory model for studying pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection, yet we still lack information about the reproductive behavior of female dung beetles in natural populations. Here, we develop microsatellite markers for Onthophagus taurus, and use them to genotype the offspring of wild-caught females, and to estimate natural rates of multiple mating and patterns of sperm utilization. We found that O. taurus females are highly polyandrous: 88% of females produced clutches sired by at least two males, and 5% produced clutches with as many as five sires. Several females (23%) produced clutches with significant paternity skew, indicating the potential for strong post-copulatory sexual selection in natural populations. There were also strong positive correlations between the number of offspring produced and both number of fathers and paternity skew, which suggests that females benefit from mating polyandrously by inciting post-copulatory mechanisms that bias paternity towards males that can sire more viable offspring. This study evaluates the fitness consequences of polyandry for an insect in the wild, and provides strong evidence that female dung beetles benefit from multiple mating under natural conditions

Simulations for corrected paternity skew

This file contains the R code for generating hypothetical clutches in order to test whether our estimates of paternity skew were significantly different from a null distribution in which males have equal siring probability (accounting for sampling error in the number of offspring and sires). The script also reports P-values and null estimates of skew for each of the females used in this study (excluding the five females that produced offspring from a single sire)