Maintenance of polymorphism in the orb weaving spider species Agalenatea redii (Araneae, Araneidae)

Abstract

The maintenance of polymorphism within populations may be the consequence of several elements of species life history such as use of space, activity rhythms, predation, parasitism and reproduction. The present study focuses on the latter aspect using an orb weaving spider, Agalenatea redii, which presents five different morphs of the opisthosoma pattern in the adult stage. Over the course of four years, from 2008 to 2011, adult spiders (males, females and pairs) were observed at different sites. In 2011, we also conducted a six-week survey of a single population, observing the number of spiders of each morph and the morph of paired spiders. We collected field data on the spatial and temporal distribution of spiders based on their sex and morph. Using a distance analysis, we compared the field distribution with a simulated one in which pairs were associated at random. The results showed that although there were changes over time and space in the proportions of females of the different morphs, as well as in the proportion of the pair associations, pairing according to morphs probably occurs at random.

Keywords

• colour pattern
• field data
• mating
• orb weaver