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1 August 2006 REGURGITATION AMONG PENULTIMATE JUVENILES IN THE SUBSOCIAL SPIDER ANELOSIMUS CF. STUDIOSUS (THERIDIIDAE): ARE MALES FAVORED?
Carmen Viera, Soledad Ghione, Fernando G. Costa
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Abstract

Regurgitation from adult females towards juveniles is a well known phenomenon in social spiders. However, occasional observations in Anelosimus cf. studiosus from Uruguay showed the occurrence of food transfer also between large juveniles. We experimentally tested if well fed penultimate females were capable of regurgitating fluids to starved males, and if well fed penultimate males were capable of regurgitating fluids to starved females. Other isolated and starved penultimate males and females were used as controls. Starved males and females of the experimental groups significantly increased their body weight, whereas body weight decreased in controls. Males increased their weight more than females. We conclude that both well fed penultimate males and females can feed other starved subadults, but when given access to members of the opposite sex, males benefit than females. This bias in the regurgitation exchange among subadults could contribute to accelerate the maturation of males.

Carmen Viera, Soledad Ghione, and Fernando G. Costa "REGURGITATION AMONG PENULTIMATE JUVENILES IN THE SUBSOCIAL SPIDER ANELOSIMUS CF. STUDIOSUS (THERIDIIDAE): ARE MALES FAVORED?," The Journal of Arachnology 34(1), 258-260, (1 August 2006). https://doi.org/10.1636/S03-46.1
Received: 30 June 2003; Published: 1 August 2006
KEYWORDS
Anelosimus cf. studiosus
inter-juvenile regurgitation
social spider
Uruguay
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