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Journ al o f lnsect Behavior , Vo l . 5 , No. 6 , 1992

Short Communication

T r a n s f e r o f a L a r v a l M a n t i s p i d D u r i n g C o p u l a t i o no f I ts S p i d e r H o s t

Sonja J . Schef fer t'z

Acce pted M ay 18 , 1992; rev ised M ay 18 , 1992

K E Y W O R D S : Climaciella brunnea; r n a n t i s p i d s ; Schizocosa s p e c i e s b e h a v i o r ; s p i d e r p a r a s i t e s .

I N T R O D U C T I O N

W ith in the M ant i sp idae (N europ te ra ), l a rvae i n t he sub fami ly Mant i sp inae feed

on the eggs o f sp ide rs . Tw o me thods a re know n by w hich l a rva l man t i sp ids

ga in access to sp ider eggs . In some spec ies , the la rva ac t ive ly searches out a

spider egg sac , p ene t ra tes the s i lk cover ing, a nd ente rs the sac . In o ther spec ies ,

the la rva c l imbs aboard a l iv ing spider and remains there unt i l an egg sac i s

p roduced . D ur ing the cons t ruc t ion o f the egg sac the l a rva l e aves the sp ide r and

ente rs the sac . Par t icula r mant i sp id spec ies m ay be ob l iga te egg sac pene t ra tors ,

obl iga te sp ider-boarders , or facul ta t ive pene t ra tor /bo arders , us ing e i ther s tra tegy

(Redborg and M acL eod , 1983) . W hi le m ant i sp id la rvae aboard spiders are kno wn

to feed on the hemolymph o f t he i r hos t s , deve lopment beyond the f i r s t i n s t a r

does no t p roceed un t i l f e ed ing beg ins on sp ide r eggs (Redborg and MacLeod ,

1984).

Becau se only fem ale spiders co ns t ruc t egg sacs , na tura l se lec t ion in sp ider-

boa rd ing spec ie s shou ld favor l a rvae t ha t p re fe ren t ia l ly end up on fem a le sp ide rs .

Se l ec t ive boa rd ing o f f ema le sp ide rs ha s no t been de t ec t ed i n t he man t i sp id

spec ies s tudied so fa r (Redborg and MacLeod, 1985; S . Scheffe r , pe rsona l

observa t ion) . A poss ib le a l te rna t ive to se lec t ive boarding of female spiders i s

t he t r ans fe r by man t i sp id l arvae f rom ma le t o fem a le sp ide rs du r ing copu la t ion .

Trans fe r behav io r du r ing copu la t i on w as no t found in Mantispa uhleri B a n k s

(Redborg and MacLeod , 1985) , and i t ha s no t been looked fo r i n any o the r

spec ies .

~ D e p a r t m e n t o f B i o l o g i c al S c i e n c e , U n i v e r s it y o f C i n c i n n a t i , C i n c i n n a t i , O h i o 4 5 2 2 1 .

2 C u r r e n t a d d r e ss : D e p a r t m e n t o f E c o l o g y a n d E v o l u t i o n , S t a te U n i v e r s i ty o f N e w Y o r k , S t o n y

B r o o k , N e w Y o r k 1 1 7 9 4 .

79 7

0892-7553/92/11000797506.50/0 9 1992 Plenum PublishingCorporation



7 9 8 S c h e f f e r

The pur pose o f th i s s tudy wa s to inve s t iga te the poss ib i l i t y o f t r a ns f e r

be ha v io r in the m a n t i sp id C l i ma c i e l l a b r u n n e a ( S a y) , a n ob l iga te sp ide r - boa r de r.

M E T H O D S

C . b r u n n e a , a m i m i c o f P o l i s t e s wasps (Wheele r , 1889; Ople r , 1981) , i s

f ound f r om the we s te r n a nd c e n t r a l Un i t e d S ta t e s sou th to C e n t r a l Am e r ic a

(Opler , 1981) . C . b r u n n e a l a r va e on m a le sp ide r s we r e ob ta ine d f o r th i s s tudy

i n tw o w a y s . I n t h e s u m m e r o f 1 9 8 7 , a n u m b e r o f a du l t m a n ti s pi d s e m e r g e d

f r o m t h e e g g s a c s o f l a b o r a t o r y - m a t e d f e m a l e S c h i z o c o s a o c r e a t a ( He n tz )

( Lyc o s ida e ) , wh ic h ha d b e e n c o l l e c t e d a s suba du l ts a t t he C inc inna ti N a tu r e

C e n t e r ( H a m i l t o n C o u n t y , O h i o ) . T h e s e m a n t i sp i d s w e r e a l l o w e d t o m a t e ; s u b -se que n t ly , e ggs we r e l a id on the w a l l o f a p l e x ig la s s c on ta ine r by a s ing le f e m a le .

F o l lowing ha tc h ing , t he m a n t i sp id l a r va e we r e a l lowe d to boa r d S . ocrea ta

sp ide r lings , wh ic h we r e the n r e a r e d in the l a bor a to r y un t il t he f o l lowing sp r ing

wh e n the y r e a c he d m a tu r i ty . Add i t iona l m a le sp ide r s (S . ocreata a nd S . rovner i

Ue tz a nd Donda le ) c a r r y ing m a n t i sp ids we r e c o l l e c t e d in M a y o f 1988 ( a t t he

C inc inna t i Na tu r e C e n te r a nd in no r the r n Ke n tuc ky , r e spe c t ive ly ) . The m a n t i s -

p ids , o f t e n pos it ione d on the sp ide r ' s pe d ic e l o r c a ra pa c e ( R e dbor g a nd M a c Le o d ,

1983 ; S . S c he f f e r , pe r sona l obse r va t ion ) , a r e r e a d i ly e v ide n t . A l l m a n t i sp id -

be a r ing sp ide r s u se d in th i s e xpe r im e n t c a r de d on ly one m a n t i sp id .Tw e n ty - th r e e pa i rs o f m a le a nd f e m a le sp ide rs w e r e p la c e d ind iv idua l ly in

15-ml p las t ic cul ture d ishes and le f t for 3 to 4 h unt i l copula t ion or , in two

c a se s , un t i l c a nn iba l i sm oc c ur r e d . O ne m e m be r o f e a c h pa i r c a r d e d a m a n t i sp id ,

wh i l e the o the r d id no t . F o l lowing c opu la t ion a l l sp ide r s we r e c he c ke d f o r the

p r e se nc e o f the m a n t i sp id . I n no c a se wa s m or e tha n one m a n t i sp id f ound pe r

pa i r .

R E S U L T S

F our te e n c opu la t ions oc c ur r e d in wh ic h the m a le wa s in i t i a l ly c a r r y ing a

m a n t i sp id . I n 12 in s t a nc e s ( 85 .7%) the m a n t i sp id wa s f ound on the f e m a le a nd

wa s m is s ing f r om the m a le f o l lowing c opu la t ion . I n 2 o f the se 12 c a se s the

f e m a le a t e the m a te be f o r e I ha d de te r m ine d w he the r o r no t the l a r va ha d t r ans -

f e r r e d du r ing c opu la t ion . Whe n the se f e m a le s ha d f in i she d f e e d ing the y we r e

c he c ke d f o r the p r e se nc e o f the l a rva . I n bo th c a se s the m a n t i sp ids ha d t r a ns-

f e r r e d suc c e ss f u l ly . B e c a use l a r va e a r e known to t r a ns f e r f r om a c a nn iba l i z e d

sp ide r to i ts p r e da to r [ two a dd i t iona l c a se s in th i s s tudy ; R e db or g a nd M a c L e od

(1985) wi th M . u h l e r i ] , i t i s unc le a r w he the r the se two t r a ns fe r s oc c ur r e d du r ingc opu la t ion o r c a nn iba l i sm . Af te r d i sc a r d ing the se two c a se s , 10 suc c e ss f u l t ra ns -

f e rs r e m a in o f 12 c opu la tions ( 83 .3 % t r a ns f e r) . La r va l t r a ns f e r wa s ne ve r se e n

wh e n the in i ti a l c a r d e r wa s a f e m a le sp ide r (n = 9 ) .



L a r v a l M a n t i s p id T r a n s f e r B e h a v i o r 7 9 9

L a r v a l t r a n s f e r b e h a v i o r w a s d i r e c t l y o b s e r v e d i n o n l y o n e c a s e . D u r i n g

c our t sh ip , a nd a t t he s t a r t o f c opu la t ion , t he m a n t i sp id r e m a ine d f a i rly s t a tiona r y

on the pe d ic e l a nd po s te r io r po r t ion o f the c a r a pa c e ; th i s i s t he usua l c ond i t ionf o r m a n t i sp ids on sp ide rs no t e nga ge d in m a t ing - r e la t e d a c t iv it i e s. D ur ing c op -

u la t ion , t he m a n t i sp id be c a m e ve r y a c t ive , r e pe a te d ly m ov ing r a p id ly a r ound

a nd und e r ne a th the m a le c a r a pa c e un t i l i t f i na lly d i sa ppe a r e d unde r the m a le ; i t

wa s l a t e r f ound on the f e m a le .

D I S C U S S I O N

B e c a use l a r va l m a n t i sp ids se e m no t to boa r d f e m a le sp ide rs p r e f e r e n t i a l ly ,

a g r e a t num be r o f l a r va e m us t boa r d m a le sp ide r s , t he r e by l a c k ing d i r e c t ac c e ss

to e ggs ( w h ic h a r e r e qu i r e d f o r de ve lop m e n t be yon d the f ir st i n s ta r ). Th e t r a ns f e r

o f l a r va l m a n t i sp ids f r om the i r m a le sp ide r hos t s to f e m a le sp ide r s du r ing c op-

u la t ion i s a n im por ta n t s t r a t e gy , a l lowing the l a r va e to pos i t ion the m se lve s to

e n te r e gg sa c s.

Th i s i s the f i r st r e por t o f l a rva l t r a ns f e r be ha v io r du r ing hos t c o pu la t ion in

a m a n t i sp id spe c ie s. T he t r a ns f e r be ha v io r shown by C. brunnea wa s no t de te c te d

in a p r e v ious s tudy invo lv ing M . u h l e r i ( R e d b o r g a n d M a c L e o d , 1 9 8 5 ) .

T h e d i ff e re n c e in t r a n s f e r b e h a v i o r b e t w e e n C . b ru n n e a a nd M . u h l e r i c ou ldb e d u e t o a n u m b e r o f f a c t o r s . M . u h l e r i i s a facul ta t ive sp ider -boarder ; i t i s

a b le t o e n t e r p r e v i o u s l y co n s t r u c te d e g g s a c s . R e d b o r g a n d M a c L e o d ( 1 9 85 )

sugge s t t ha t, f o l lowing the de a th o f it s m a le sp ide r hos t , a l a r va m a y be f r e e to

wa nde r in se a r c h o f a n e gg sa c ( o r a ne w hos t ) . Th i s a l t e rna t ive r ou te p r ov id ing

a c c e ss to e ggs i s no t ope n to C . b ru n n e a , w h i c h d o n o t r e c o g n i z e p r e v i o u s ly

f o r m e d e gg sa c s o r e ggs a s f ood ( R e dbor g a nd M a c Le od , 1983) . S e le c t ion f o r

l a r va l t r a ns f e r be h a v io r m a y be m or e in t e nse in a spe c ie s in wh ic h suc c e ss f u l

l a r va l de ve lopm e n t a bso lu te ly r e qu i r es tha t a l a rva i s c a r ri e d by a m a tu r e f e m a le

spider .An o the r f a c to r tha t m a y in f lue nc e the e vo lu t ion o f l a rva l t r a ns f e r be h a v io r

i s the num be r o f sp ide r hos t s u se d by e a c h m a n t i sp id spe c ie s . The hos t r a nge

o f M . u h l e r i i s ve r y b r oa d ; i t ha s be e n c o l l e c t e d f r om sp ide r s in a t l e a s t e igh t

f a m i l i e s ( R e dbor g a nd M a c Le od , 1985 , Ta b le 27 ) . I n c on t r a s t , C . b ru n n e a h as

be e n c o l l e c t e d e xc lus ive ly f r om sp ide r spe c ie s w i th in the f a m i ly Lyc os ida e

( G e o r g e a n d G e o r g e , 1 9 7 5; R e d b o r g an d M a c L e o d , 1 9 8 3; L a S a l le , 1 9 8 6; th i s

s tudy) . R e s t r i c t ion o f C . b ru n n e a t o sp ide r hos t s w i th in a s ing le f a m i ly m a y

pr ov ide a c ons i s t e n t c ue ind ic a t ing hos t c opu la t ion tha t i s no t a va i l a b le to M .

uhler i , whic h use s a f a r m or e d ive r se g r oup o f sp ide r s a s hos t s . Add i t iona l ly ,

l y c o s i d c o p u l a t i o n i s c o m m o n l y o f a l o n g d u r a t i o n , a l l o w i n g a m p l e t i m e f o r

t r a ns fe r . R e s t r i c t ion o f C . b ru n n e a t o th i s s ing le sp ide r f a m i ly m a y ha ve m a de

the e vo lu t ion o f l a r va l t r a ns f e r be ha v io r m or e l ike ly .



800 Scheffer

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

T h a n k s a r e d u e t o C o l e G i l b e r t f o r i n i t ia l l y i d e n t i f y i n g th e m a n t i s p i d s .

G e o r g e U e t z k i n d l y p r o v i d e d l a b o r a to r y sp a c e . D o u g F u t u y m a , L e o S h a p i r o ,

a n d K e i th K a r o l y m a d e v a l u a b l e c o m m e n t s o n t he m a n u s c r i p t . A S i g m a X i

G r a n t - i n - A i d o f R e s e a r c h s u p p o r te d m y r e s e a rc h o n r e p r o d u c t iv e b e h a v i o r o f

Schizocosa s p id e r s f ro m w h i c h t h is p ro j e c t sp r a n g . T h e C i n c i n n a t i N a t u r e C e n t e r

a l l o w e d m e t o c o l l e c t sp i d e r s f ro m t h e i r g r o u n d s .

R E F E R E N C E S

George, L. D ., an d George, N . L. (19 75 ). Notes on the three hundred and fifty-eighth meeting: A

new record of mantispid reared from spider. Pan-Pacif Entomol. 51: 90.LaSal le, M. W . (1986 ) . Note on the mant ispid Climaciella brunnea (Neuroptera: M antispidae) in

a coastal marsh habitat. Entomol. News 97: 7-10.Opler, P. A. (1981). Polymorphic mimicry of polist ine wasps by a neotropical neuropteran. Bio-

tropica 13: 165-176.Redborg, K. E. , and MacLeod, E. G. (19 83) . Climaciella brunnea (Neuroptera: Man tispidae): A

mantispid that obligately boards spiders. J. Nat. Hist. 17: 63-73.Redbo rg, K. E., and M acLeod, E. G. (1984). M aintenance feeding of first instar man tispid larvae

(Neuroptera, Man tispidae) on spider (Arachnida, Araneae) hemolymp h. J. Arachnol. 11: 337-341.

Redborg, K. E . , an d MacLeod, E. G . (1985) . The developmental ecology of Mantispa uhleri Banks(Neuroptera: Mantispidae). III. Biol. Monogr. 53: 1-130.

Wheeler , W. M. (188 9) . Two cases of insect mimicry. Proc. Wisc. Nat. Hist. Soc., April, pp.217-221.