Post embryonic development of the central nervous system of the spider Argiope aurantia (Lucas)

Volumetric and histological changes of the central nervous system were studied during post embryonic development of a spider, Argiope aurantia. The neural mass of Argiope grows allometrically with respect to volume of the cephalothorax and body weight. In the first instar 46% of the cephalothoracic volume constitutes the neural mass and this is reduced to 4% in the female (9th stage) and 12% in the male (7th stage) spider. Growth curves for the cephalic ganglion, measured at all stages, represent a straight line. The neural mass of females is two and a half times larger than that of the males. The ganglion increased 24 fold in female and 10 fold in male spiders. Addition of neural mass occurs in all stages. The brain volume is greater than that of the subesophageal ganglion in the first two instars. In subsequent stadia, the subesophageal ganglion grows faster, and in females it is finally three times and in males two times larger than the brain. Growth of cortex and neuropile depict exponential curves. Comparison of growth patterns of these shows an inverse relationship during development. While the volume of the cortex is higher in the first two or three stages, the volume of the neuropile is higher in the remaining stadia. The causes for this growth pattern are discussed. Counts of cell numbers show that there is a constant population of neurons throughout the post-embryonic development. The number of nerve cells in females is higher than in males, 11% in the subesophageal ganglion and 58% in the brain. The growth of the cortex is partly accomplished by an increase in cell volume. In male and female spiders the increase in Type-B cells is 20 and 50 fold, while that of large motor neurons is 200 and 600 fold respectively. The motor neurons of 20 μ and above number 63 in male and 916 in female adult spiders. The growth of neuropile occurs through an increase of dendritic arborization and axonal branching. The largest axons measure 1 μ in the first and 16 μ in adult stages. An increase of incoming sensory fibers is also noticed during development. Invasion of neural lamella into cortex and neuropile increases during development. Neural lamella which are 1-2 μ in the first stage grow to 40-100 μ thickness in adult female spiders, near the origin of the main nerves. One type of astral cells, counted in neuropile, increases 10 fold. The appearance of a central body and the beginning of web construction coincide during the second instar. The relationship between these two is discussed.