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Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

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Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
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Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
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How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
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Symbiosis00:58

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Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

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When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
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Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

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Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Extraction of Venom and Venom Gland Microdissections from Spiders for Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses
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Non-webbuilding spiders: prey specialists or generalists?

Wolfgang Nentwig1

  • 1Institut für Zoologie der Universität, Universitätsstr. 31, D-8400, Regensburg, Germany.

Oecologia
|March 18, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This study investigated prey specialization in seven non-web-building spider species. Findings reveal that while some spiders eat many prey types, others, like Misumena vatia, are highly specialized, often on social insects or other spiders.

Area of Science:

  • Arachnology
  • Ecology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Non-web-building spiders exhibit diverse feeding strategies.
  • Prey specialization varies significantly among spider species.
  • Understanding dietary breadth is crucial for spider ecology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document prey diversity and specialization in seven non-web-building spider species.
  • To review existing literature on prey records of non-web-building spiders.
  • To identify patterns of prey specialization, focusing on oligophagy and monophagy.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted feeding experiments with seven spider species and various prey types.
  • Reviewed scientific literature for prey records of non-web-building spiders.

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  • Analyzed data to categorize spiders by prey breadth (polyphagous, oligophagous, monophagous).

    • Main Results:

    • Observed a spectrum of prey specialization, from generalist (polyphagous) to specialist (oligophagous/monophagous) feeders.
    • Identified Misumena vatia as a highly specialized thomisid spider with a limited prey range.
    • Found that monophagous spiders are rare and often specialize on social insects (ants, bees, termites) or other spiders.

    Conclusions:

    • Prey specialization is a key ecological trait in non-web-building spiders.
    • Highly specialized spiders, particularly monophagous ones, are uncommon but exhibit distinct dietary preferences.
    • Social insects and other spiders represent common, specialized prey for certain spider species.