Mating Rates and Their Adaptive Value in Orb-Web Spiders of the Genus Argiope (Araneae: Araneidae)

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Mating Rates and Their Adaptive Value in Orb-Web Spiders of the Genus Argiope (Araneae: Araneidae) Mating rates and their adaptive value in orb-web spiders of the genus Argiope (Araneae: Araneidae) Dissertation Zur Erlangung der Würde des Doktors der Naturwissenschaften des Fachbereichs Biologie der Universität Hamburg vorgelegt von Klaas W. Welke aus Gummersbach Hamburg 2012 SCHOOL OF BIOSCIENCES Centre for Ecology & Conservation Cornwall Campus Penryn Cornwall TR10 9EZ Telephone +44 (0)1326 371825 Fax +44 (0)1326 253638 Email [email protected] Web http://www.uec.ac.uk/biology 17 April 2012 Use of English in thesis by Klaas W Welke To whom it may concern, As a native English speaker I am writing in support of Klaas W Welke’s thesis entitled “Mating rates and their adaptive value in orb‐web spiders of the genus Argiope”. Having read through Klaas’s thesis I can confirm that the use of English is correct. Yours sincerely Dr Nick J. Royle Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Ecology Contents Zusammenfassung ............................................................................................................... 7 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 9 General introduction ....................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1: ............................................................................................................................ 19 Determinants of natural mating success in the cannibalistic orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi PLoS ONE (2012) 7(2): e31389 Chapter 2: ....................................................................................................................... 33 Female quality predicts male faithfulness: conditional monogyny in a spider Frontiers in Zoology (in press) Chapter 3:............................................................................................................................... 47 Sexual cannibalism benefits offspring survival Animal Behaviour (2012) 83: 201-207 Chapter 4: ....................................................................................................................... 59 Males of the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi sacrifice themselves to unrelated females Biology Letters (2010) 6: 585-588 Chapter 5: ....................................................................................................................... 65 Inbreeding depression and indications for cryptic female choice in Argiope australis Unpublished General discussion ............................................................................................................ 75 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... 79 Eidesstattliche Erklärung ................................................................................................ 81 Zusammenfassung Im Tierreich finden sich zahlreiche ich die natürlichen Paarungsraten der Paarungssysteme, in denen die Geschlechter bestimmt und in Geschlechterrollen von der traditionellen Laborexperimenten den adaptiven Wert von Ansicht abweichen, dass Männchen mit jeder sexuellem Kannibalismus und Polyandrie Paarung ihren Fortpflanzungserfolg steigern untersucht. Des Weiteren habe ich den Wert und den Weibchen eine oder wenige von Polyandrie als eine Strategie zur Inzucht- Kopulationen für einen optimalen vermeidung an A. australis getestet. Fortpflanzungserfolg genügen sollten. Mathematische Modelle postulieren, dass Zahlreiche Spinnenarten, insbesondere für die Entstehung von monogynen Radnetzspinnen, weichen stark von diesen Paarungssystemen ein stark männchenlastiges Geschlechterrollen ab, da Weibchen sich oft Geschlechterverhältnis eine Grund- mehrfach verpaaren (Polyandrie) und voraussetzung ist. Meine Feldbeobachtungen Männchen auf maximal zwei Kopulationen zeigten jedoch, dass das Verhältnis von beschränkt sind (Monogynie, Bigynie). Da die Männchen zu Weibchen, die sich mindestens Paarungsraten innerhalb und zwischen den einmal paarten (’effective sex ratio’) nahezu Arten stark variieren, bieten Spinnen ein ausgewogen war. Das operationale geeignetes System, um den adaptiven Wert von Geschlechterverhältnis (OSR: paarungsbereite Fortpflanzungsstrategien zu untersuchen. Männchen und Weibchen zu einem bestimmten In der Gattung der Wespenspinnen Argiope Zeitpunkt) hingegen wies eine starke findet sich diese Kombination von Polyandrie Veränderung im Verlauf der Saison auf. Da die und Monogynie und geht einher mit einer Männchen deutlich kleiner als die Weibchen Reihe von extremen Anpassungen, sind und schneller heranreifen, kommt es zu insbesondere bei den Männchen. Häufig Beginn der Saison zu einem starken Männchen- verstümmeln diese ihre paarigen überschuss. Für Männchen ist dieses frühe Kopulationsorgane (Pedipalpen) und Heranreifen von Vorteil, da es ihnen verstopfen mit den abgebrochenen Teilen die ermöglicht, sub-adulte Weibchen zu belagern. Kopulationsöffnungen der Weibchen. Hierdurch erhöhen sie ihre Chancen mit einem Hierdurch verhindern sie, mehr oder weniger virginen Weibchen zu kopulieren. Die effektiv, erfolgreiche Kopulationen möglicher Vermeidung von bereits verpaarten Weibchen Rivalen. Die beschädigten männlichen ist höchst adaptiv in einem Paarungssystem in Pedipalpen werden hierdurch jedoch nutzlos, dem Männchen Weibchen durch was sie auf ein Maximum von zwei Begattungspfropfen monopolisieren. Das OSR Kopulationen in ihrem Leben beschränkt. wird im Verlauf der Paarungssaison immer Weiterhin werfen sich Männchen spätestens mehr zu Gunsten der Weibchen verschoben, da nach ihrer zweiten Verpaarung dem deutlich Männchen durch sexuellen Kannibalismus aus größeren Weibchen zum Fraß vor. Aufgrund dem Paarungs-Pool ausscheiden. Entgegen den dessen gibt es eine große Zahl an Männchen, theoretischen Voraussagen hatte diese die sich in ihrem Leben nur einmal verpaaren. Dynamik im OSR keinen Einfluss auf die Männchen, die ihre erste Kopulation überleben Paarungsraten der Geschlechter. Ein erwarteter haben die Wahl zwischen zwei alternativen Anstieg von Monogynie unter erhöhter Paarungsstrategien. Entweder sie verpaaren Männchenkonkurrenz ließ sich nicht sich mit demselben Weibchen erneut nachweisen. Männchen entschieden (Monogynie) oder sie machen sich auf die konditionell, ob sie sich zweimal mit demselben Suche nach einem Weiteren (Bigynie). Weibchen verpaarten oder versuchten noch ein In meiner Arbeit habe ich mich Weiteres zu finden. So neigten Männchen eher hauptsächlich mit der Wespenspinne Argiope zu Monogynie, wenn ihr erstes Weibchen bruennichi beschäftigt, die sich in den schwer und das lokale Angebot an vergangenen zehn Jahren zu einem unverpaarten oder sub-adulten Weibchen Modellorganismus für die Untersuchung von gering war. Die Häufigkeit der alternativen Monogynie und Polyandrie entwickelt hat. männlichen Paarungsstrategien erklärte auch Innerhalb einer A. bruennichi Population habe den größten Teil der Polyandrie in der 7 Zusammenfassung Population, die mit einer durchschnittlichen Höchstwahrscheinlich dient Polyandrie als Paarungsrate der Weibchen von 1.3 eher gering Strategie, um Inzucht und ihre Kosten zu war. vermeiden. Die Kombination von verwandten In A. bruennichi sind Männchen in der Lage Genomen stellt eine hohe genetische ihre Paarungsstrategien aktiv über ihre Inkompatibilität zwischen Paarungspartnern Kopulationsdauer zu beeinflussen. In einem dar und kann die Fitness beider Geschlechter Laborexperiment, in dem Geschwister oder drastisch herabsetzen. In A. australis zeigte sich Nicht-Geschwister miteinander verpaart schon nach einer Generation eine geringere wurden, konnte ich zeigen, dass Männchen Größe und verkürzte Lebenserwartung in eher eine bigyne Paarungsstrategie wählten, ingezüchteten Tieren. Mechanismen zur wenn sie zuerst mit einer Schwester verpaart Vermeidung dieser Kosten sind daher höchst wurden. Männchen verkürzten hierzu ihre adaptiv. Wespenspinnen-Weibchen scheinen Kopulationsdauer und somit auch ihre durch ihre Genitalmorphologie ideal zu sein Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit, da dies in um Polyandrie als post-kopulatorischen direktem Zusammenhang miteinander steht. Auswahlmechanismus zu nutzen. Sie besitzen Dass Männchen die Paarung mit einer zwei separate Spermienspeicher, die in Schwester nicht von vornherein vermieden, unterschiedlichen Kopulationen befüllt werden. hängt wahrscheinlich mit der starken Präferenz Dies legt nahe, dass Weibchen nach der für virgine Weibchen zusammen. Kopulation zwischen den verschiedenen Das Argiope Männchen sich den Weibchen Ejakulaten wählen können. Spermien- nach der zweiten Kopulation zum Fraß zählungen bei A. australis zeigten starke vorwerfen stellt für sie möglicherweise geringe Hinweise darauf, dass Weibchen gegen ihre Kosten dar. Die Männchen sind nach zwei Brüder diskriminieren. Dieser Effekt trat aber Kopulationen steril und verfügen über keine nur auf, wenn die Brüder nach Nicht- weiteren Paarungschancen in der Zukunft. Geschwistern kopulierten. Ähnliche Ergebnisse Durch die Selbstaufopferung können die wurden bereits in einer Studie an A. lobata Männchen sogar noch ihren Vaterschaftserfolg gefunden und machen die Existenz von steigern, denn wie ich zeigen konnte, wiesen Inzuchtvermeidung durch post-kopulatorische Nachkommen kannibalistischer Weibchen eine Auswahlprozesse in Argiope sehr erhöhte Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit unter wahrscheinlich. simulierten Winterbedingungen auf. Der Diese Arbeit zeigt, wie wichtig genetische Mechanismus dahinter bleibt noch ungeklärt, Vorteile für die
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