I investigated behavioral niche partitioning in two morphologically similar and sympatric Emblyna spiders by collecting webs of Emblyna francisca and Emblyna reticulata from Sambucus and Atriplex plants at the Panorama Vista Preserve in Kern County, California. I measured web heights and identified prey found in webs to compare web placement and prey distributions in each habitat. Emblyna francisca webs contained more prey than did E. reticulata webs in both habitats. The two spiders had similar abundance in Atriplex, but in Sambucus, E. reticulata was more abundant than E. francisca. Emblyna reticulata placed its webs higher than E. francisca in Atriplex but not in Sambucus, and the distribution of prey in webs differed between the two spiders in Sambucus, but not in Atriplex.
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27 January 2022
BEHAVIORAL NICHE PARTITIONING IN EMBLYNA FRANCISCA AND EMBLYNA RETICULATA (ARANEAE, DICTYNIDAE)
Carl T. Kloock
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