Fatty acids in overwintering egg sacs of pirate spiders Ero sp. (Mimetidae) and wasp spiders Argiope bruennichi (Araneidae)

U. Suprunowicz; A. Piotrowska-Niczyporuk; A. Kostro-Ambroziak

Fatty acids in overwintering egg sacs of pirate spiders Ero sp. (Mimetidae) and wasp spiders Argiope bruennichi (Araneidae)

2025

U. Suprunowicz | A. Piotrowska-Niczyporuk | A. Kostro-Ambroziak

Egg sacs protect spider eggs and the spiderlings inside them from external factors (e.g. physical conditions, pathogens and predators), providing a form of passive maternal care for the offspring. This protection is based on the structure of the egg sac, and the structural properties of silk and chemical compounds, the latter being especially interesting in the context of antimicrobial activity. We summarized data regarding the fatty acid (FA) profile in spider silk, and studied these lipids in overwintering egg sacs and their contents, in both Ero sp. (eggs) and Argiope bruennichi (spiderlings). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the egg sacs of both species revealed 33 FAs containing from 10 to 24 carbon atoms. Egg sac silk included saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA) FAs, which are known for a wide spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal properties. This could be especially important in the case of spider egg sacs, which are left in the environment for many months with offspring inside them.

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