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- Title
Sociable widow spiders? Evidence of subsociality in Latrodectus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Theridiidae).
- Authors
Bertani, Rogério; Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri; Martins, Rosana
- Abstract
A first case of subsociality is reported for the genus Latrodectus. Individuals were found sharing the same web and feeding together. In captivity they showed mutual tolerance and communal feeding. This finding is remarkable for two reasons. First, widow spiders, even compared with other spiders, are famously aggressive and cannibalistic so that social behavior in the genus was unexpected. Second, the genus nests outside the “ Anelosimus + lost colulus” clade where all the other social theridiids are found.
- Subjects
ANIMAL social behavior; WIDOW spiders; ANIMAL behavior; ANIMAL societies; CANNIBALISM in animals
- Publication
Journal of Ethology, 2008, Vol 26, Issue 2, p299
- ISSN
0289-0771
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10164-007-0082-8