scholarly journals Climate change and altitudinal variation in sexual size dimorphism of arctic wolf spiders

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
TT Høye ◽  
JU Hammel
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (7) ◽  
pp. 648-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Aisenberg ◽  
F. G. Costa

Allocosa brasiliensis (Petrunkevitch, 1910) is a nocturnal wolf spider inhabitant of coastal dunes. Pitfall-trap data suggested the occurrence of two sympatric and synchronic morphs, with differences in adult size and abdominal design (minor and major morphs). Previous studies performed with the major morph of A. brasiliensis, postulated courtship-role and sexual size dimorphism reversal for this spider. In the present study, we compare data on development and morphology and test reproductive isolation between morphs of A. brasiliensis, with the hypotheses that the two morphs are reproductively isolated and both show courtship-role reversal. As had been reported for the major morph of A. brasiliensis, the minor-morph females approached the burrows of minor-morph males, entered, initiated courtship, and after copulation, males closed their burrows with female cooperation from the inside. Females did not court or copulate with males belonging to the other morph and, in two cases, major-morph females cannibalised minor-morph males. Morphometrical and developmental data showed differences between morphs. The occurrence of copulation only between individuals of the same morph confirm reproductive isolation, supporting the occurrence of two species. Morphological and behavioural data are consistent with courtship-role-reversal hypotheses for the minor morph, constituting the second report in spiders of this atypical behaviour.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 542-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toke Thomas Høye ◽  
Jörg U. Hammel ◽  
Thomas Fuchs ◽  
Søren Toft

Climate change is advancing the onset of the growing season and this is happening at a particularly fast rate in the High Arctic. However, in most species the relative fitness implications for males and females remain elusive. Here, we present data on 10 successive cohorts of the wolf spider Pardosa glacialis from Zackenberg in High-Arctic, northeast Greenland. We found marked inter-annual variation in adult body size (carapace width) and this variation was greater in females than in males. Earlier snowmelt during both years of its biennial maturation resulted in larger adult body sizes and a skew towards positive sexual size dimorphism (females bigger than males). These results illustrate the pervasive influence of climate on key life-history traits and indicate that male and female responses to climate should be investigated separately whenever possible.


2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otavio Augusto Vuolo Marques ◽  
Ronaldo Fernandes ◽  
Roberta Richard Pinto

Abstract The morphometry and diet of two sympatric species of Chironius (C. flavolineatus and C. quadricarinatus) from Brazilian Cerrado are described. The two snake species differ in external morphology, as Chironius flavolineatus was the largest species (body, tail and eyes) whereas C. quadricarinatus the heaviest. Each species also showed marked sexual size dimorphism. In terms of dietary ecology, both species feed exclusively on frogs with a heavy preference for hylids and may have tendency to eat small items, as noticed in other colubrine species. These two snake species showed a brownish colour pattern and exhibited no ontogenetic variation, suggesting that juveniles and adults use similar substrates. Chironius flavolineatus and C. quadricarinatus present a semi-arboreal habit, with active foraging behaviour, feeding in the ground most of time. Chironius flavolineatus uses higher vegetation for resting and, based on morphological results, seems to be more arboreal than C. quadricarinatus.


Author(s):  
Rachael Y. Dudaniec ◽  
Alexander R. Carey ◽  
Erik I. Svensson ◽  
Bengt Hansson ◽  
Chuan Ji Yong ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document