Proies capturées et stratégies prédatrices chez deux espèces d'araignées orbitèles: Argiope bruennichi et Araneus marmoreus: [Prey and predatory strategies of two orb-weaving spiders: Argiope bruennichi and Araneus marmoreus]
1984
Pasquet, Alain
SUMMARY: Prey and predatory strategies of two orb-weaving spiders: Argiope bruennichi (Scop.) and Araneus marmoreus (Clark), Araneae, Argiopidae The impact of spiders on insect prey populations depends on the number of prey caught and on prey selection. Selection depends on many factors, but particularly on the position of the web in the habitat. The diet of two species of spiders was studied, together with the potential prey from the same habitat, determined by red and yellow coloured traps. A. marmoreus caught an average of 14.1 prey/day, while A. bruennichi caught an average of 4.3 prey/day. The prey of A. marmoreus were mostly (86%) small insects (0-4 mm) consisting mainly of Diptera (75%) and Hymenoptera (16%). A bruennichi caught Diptera (60%) and Hymenoptera (14.1%) but also Orthoptera (11.7%) and Hemiptera (10.6%) with fewer small insects (55%) and more medium-sized (4-10 mm) (28.4%) and large prey (> 10 mm) (17.6%). A. marmoreus spins its web at the top of the vegetation (50 to 75 cm) and A. bruennichi spins lower (0-50 cm), amongst the grasses. Analysis of the coloured trap catches from these different strata shows that position of the web in the habitat accounts partly for the different diets of the two species. Structural characteristics of the webs and the predatory behaviour of the two species are also considered.
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