A large population of Sphodros rufipes (Latreille 1829) was discovered in a municipal park in Memphis, Tennessee. We examined potential stem diameter preference, frequency of web attachment to available tree species and the spatial distribution patterns of spiders and potential attachment structures. A wide range of structure diameters were utilized for web attachment. The association of pursewebs to tree taxa was independent of the frequency of tree taxa occurrence. The spacing of vegetation stems and trunks was approximately random, but spiders exhibited a nonrandom, aggregated distribution, which was more pronounced in subadults than adults. The factors influencing S. rufipes to occur in aggregations cannot be explained by the spatial proximity of potential attachment structures in the forest.
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1 December 2011
Aggregations of Sphodros rufipes (Araneae: Atypidae) in an urban forest
Steven B. Reichling,
Christopher Baker,
Christina Swatzell
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The Journal of Arachnology
Vol. 39 • No. 3
December 2011
Vol. 39 • No. 3
December 2011
aggregations
density
Purseweb spider
random distribution
tree preference