Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
5-2014
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Thomas C. Jones
Committee Members
Darrell Moore, Lev Yampolsky
Abstract
Few studies have rigorously assessed the adaptive value of diel rhythms in animals. We laid the groundwork for assessing the adaptive rhythm hypothesis by assaying diel rhythms of foraging and antipredator behavior in the orb-weaving spider Cyclosa turbinata. When confronted with a predator stimulus in experimental arenas, C. turbinata exhibited thanatosis behavior more frequently and for longer durations during the day. However, assays of antipredator response within webs revealed more complex diel patterns of avoidance behaviors and no pattern of avoidance behavior duration. Assays of prey capture behavior found that the likelihood of exhibiting prey capture behavior varied significantly across times of day and test subjects, but only test subject predicted attack latencies. Although C. turbinata foraging aggression changed over the diel cycle, we found no evidence of a trade-off between foraging behavior and predator vigilance. However, overall patterns of vigilance may be masked by diel changes in antipredator strategies.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Watts, James C., "Diel Patterns of Foraging Aggression and Antipredator Behavior in the Trashline Orb-weaving Spider, Cyclosa turbinata" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2334. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2334
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Behavior and Ethology Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons