Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
J Econ Entomol. 2010 Jun;103(3):808-15. doi: 10.1603/ec09419.
In a previous experimental study, recluse spiders Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik and Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet) (Araneae: Sicariidae) preferred small cardboard refugia covered with conspecific silk compared with never-occupied refugia. Herein, we investigated some factors that might be responsible for this preference using similar cardboard refugia. When the two Loxosceles species were given choices between refugia previously occupied by their own and by the congeneric species, neither showed a species-specific preference; however, each chose refugia coated with conspecific silk rather than those previously inhabited by a distantly related cribellate spider, Metaltella simoni (Keyserling). When L. laeta spiders were offered refugia that were freshly removed from silk donors compared with heated, aged refugia from the same silk donor, older refugia were preferred. Solvent extracts of L. laeta silk were chosen approximately as often as control refugia when a range of solvents (methylene chloride:methanol, water, and hexane) were used. However, when acetone was used on similar silk, there was a statistical preference for the control, indicating that there might be a mildly repellent aspect to acetone-washed silk. Considering the inability to show attraction to chemical aspects of fresh silk, it seems that physical attributes may be more important for selection and that there might be repellency to silk of a recently vacated spider. These findings are discussed in regard to pest management strategies to control recluse spiders.
在之前的一项实验研究中，隐士蜘蛛 Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch 和 Mulaik 以及 Loxosceles laeta（Nicolet）（蛛形纲：Sicariidae）更喜欢覆盖同种蜘蛛丝的小纸板避难所，而不是从未被占据的避难所。在此，我们使用类似的纸板避难所研究了一些可能导致这种偏好的因素。当两种 Loxosceles 物种在以前被自己和同属物种占据的避难所之间进行选择时，它们都没有表现出特定于物种的偏好；然而，它们都选择了涂有同种蜘蛛丝的避难所，而不是以前被亲缘关系较远的 cribellate 蜘蛛 Metaltella simoni（Keyserling）占据的避难所。当 L. laeta 蜘蛛提供了新鲜的避难所与来自同一蜘蛛丝供体的加热、老化的避难所相比，它们更喜欢使用旧的避难所。当使用一系列溶剂（二氯甲烷：甲醇、水和己烷）时，L. laeta 丝的溶剂提取物与对照避难所一样被大约选择。然而，当在类似的丝上使用丙酮时，对于对照物有统计学上的偏好，这表明丙酮洗过的丝可能有轻微的排斥性。考虑到对新鲜丝的化学方面的吸引力的无能，似乎物理属性对于选择可能更为重要，并且对于最近腾空的蜘蛛的丝可能有排斥性。这些发现与控制隐士蜘蛛的害虫管理策略有关。
