Hieber Craig S
Department of Biology, St. Anselm College, 87 St. Anselm Drive, 03102-1310, Manchester, NH, USA.
Oecologia. 1992 Oct;91(4):530-535. doi: 10.1007/BF00650327.
This study tests hypotheses regarding spider cocoons and their suspension systems as barriers to generalist and specialist predators. Evidence presented here suggests that the suspension systems ofMecynogea lemniscata andArgiope aurantia cocoons are effective barriers against small generalists such as ants, but fail to stop large generalists such as birds. Cocoon covers were found to be generally ineffective against generalist predators. Various component layers of these cocoons are shown, however, to be an effective barrier against the attack modes of specific predator guilds. Cocoon covers function primarily as barriers to specialists that use active "burrowing" larvae to gain entrance into the cocoon, while the flocculent silk layer is shown to be an effective barrier against specialists which use a long ovipositor to attack cocoons. These findings support suggestions that the primary role of the cocoon is to provide protection from predators and parasites. These results also support a close evolutionary relationship between cocoon architecture and specialized predators.
本研究检验了关于蜘蛛茧及其悬挂系统作为广食性和专食性捕食者障碍的假设。此处提供的证据表明，黄斑园蛛（Mecynogea lemniscata）和金蛛（Argiope aurantia）茧的悬挂系统是抵御蚂蚁等小型广食性捕食者的有效屏障，但无法阻止鸟类等大型广食性捕食者。研究发现，茧盖通常对广食性捕食者无效。然而，这些茧的各个组成层被证明是抵御特定捕食者类群攻击方式的有效屏障。茧盖主要作为使用活跃“挖掘”幼虫进入茧内的专食性捕食者的屏障，而絮状丝层被证明是抵御使用长产卵器攻击茧的专食性捕食者的有效屏障。这些发现支持了茧的主要作用是保护免受捕食者和寄生虫侵害的观点。这些结果也支持了茧的结构与专食性捕食者之间存在密切进化关系的观点。
