Testing for Differences in Consumer-Based Nutrient Cycling Between Male and Female Wolf Spiders (Hogna carolinensis)

Assessing how elements are transferred through ecosystems provides key insights into nutrient cycling, food web interactions, and ecosystem functioning. However, studies investigating the effects of intraspecific variation on organismal elemental composition remain limited, especially for trace elements. This study investigated sex-based differences in the elemental content of whole body and excreta of Hogna carolinensis (Carolina wolf spiders). We hypothesized that males and females would differ in whole-body and excreta elemental composition due to divergent life history strategies. Our findings partially supported our hypothesis. Male spiders had significantly higher whole-body concentrations of Fe, Ni, and S, whereas females had significantly more Sr. In excreta, males excreted significantly greater concentrations of Ca, Mn, Si, and Zn, while females excreted significantly higher concentrations of K and P. Principal component analysis revealed distinct elemental profiles between excreta and whole-body samples, with both sexes exhibiting higher concentrations of Ba, Ca, Fe, K, N, Na, P, S, and Si in excreta, and lower concentrations of Cu, Li, and Ni than in their whole body. These results suggest that sex-specific excretion patterns may influence micronutrient cycling and ecosystem function, particularly regarding the deposition of nutrients such as Ca, K, Mn, P, Si, and Zn. Given the potential ecological implications of sex-based nutrient fluxes, future research should further examine how intraspecific variation and sexual dimorphism shape stoichiometric phenotypes and trophic interactions.