The Structures of Web Depended on the Mass of the Spider Argiope amoena

The primary function of a spider’s web is to capture prey.The structure of a web can reflect the foraging investment and strategy the spider has taken.In this study,we examined webs from different sized spiders.Results indicate that among spiders under 200 mg,there exists a positive relation between the spider’s mass and the capture thread length,capture spiral space,and capture area.This relationship was not seen in spiders larger than 200 mg.The stabilimentum was only found among spiders above a certain weight (in our study,the smallest spider having a stabilimentum was 22.7 mg) and total stabilimentum area was related to the spider’s mass.Furthermore,there was a negative relationship between the radius of the web and the spider’s mass.In spiders under 200 mg,there was a negative relationship between spider mass and the ratio of the upper capture thread length to lower the capture thread length.These results are consistent with our hypothesis that changes in web structure reflect the foraging investments and strategies of different sized spiders.