Hastings Natural History Reservation

19 May, 05 AM - 10 Jun, 05 AM

Sexual selection leads to the evolution of traits that increase reproductive success under competition. However, the traits that maximize fitness vary with ecology (e.g., food availability) and population demography (e.g., sex ratio, density), as these factors can affect the development of phenotypes and the competitive environment individuals encounter. The goal of our research is to increase understanding of the interaction between sexual selection and environmental factors that are likely to vary within an individual's lifetime. We will investigate sex ratios, population density, and mating success in the sexually dimorphic western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus), a species with sedentary females and males that wander to find mates. Black widow females attract males using web-based airborne cues, and alter the density of silk in their webs in response to food availability and the proximity of conspecifics. Some black widow females remain unmated in the field, and females who emit a stronger/more attractive signal to males may have a greater chance of mating. In addition, the relative mating success of males and females in natural conditions is currently unknown and would enable an understanding of the different environmental challenges each sex faces. The ability of black widows to make adaptive modifications to offspring sex ratio to maximize their lifetime reproductive success is also unknown and will also be a focus of our project

Visit #14831 @Hastings Natural History Reservation

Approved

Under Project # 9754 | Research

Uncovering links between population demographics, ecology and sexual selection in a black widow spider

graduate_student - University of Toronto

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 2 Graduate Student May 19 - Jun 10, 2008 (23 days)

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Ranch House 2 May 19 - Jun 10, 2008