Influences of aggregative behaviour on space occupation in the spider Zygiella x-notata (Clerck)

Summary The distribution of the spider Zygiella x-notata was examined using field populations of adult females occupying the outside frames of windows. The structure of the populations was aggregative, and the distribution of individuals on the window frames and the size of the webs were density dependent. Also, the sizes of the webs of neighbouring spiders on the same window alternated. This spatial organization involves interactions between neighbours. If one spider out of two is removed, and if all the webs are destroyed, remaining spiders that previously had small webs significantly increase the size of their construction. In contrast, individuals that previously had large webs do not modify the size of their construction. This shows that individuals of Z. x-notata respond to the presence of neighbours. The influence of intraspecific interactions in such a population is discussed.