Limb regeneration and subsequent asymmetry in a male secondary sexual character influences sexual selection in wolf spiders |
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Authors: | G W Uetz William J McClintock Douglas Miller Elizabeth I Smith Kristina K Cook |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006, USA, US;(2) Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA, US;(3) Deer Park High School, Cincinnati, OH, USA, US;(4) North Park College, Chicago, IL,USA , US |
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Abstract: | Males of the brush-legged wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) have conspicuously decorated forelegs used in courtship and agonistic displays. Approximately one in five juvenile
males has a missing or regenerating foreleg, and regeneration of a leg lost during development usually results in the absence
of a decorative tuft on that leg. The subsequent asymmetry in this male secondary character significantly decreases success
in both courtship of females and male-male agonistic interactions. Experimental removal of tufts from one leg of previously
successful symmetric males produces similar results. As a test for concomitant behavioral effects, female spiders were shown
video images of a courting male with symmetric tufts and the same video image altered to have asymmetric tufts. Female receptivity
to the asymmetric video image was lower. In contrast to fluctuating asymmetry resulting from developmental instability, leg
tuft asymmetry in S. ocreata most likely arises from a single event during ontogeny – possibly leg loss from an aggressive or predator encounter – and
may serve as a quality indicator in female mate choice.
Received: 27 July 1995/ Accepted after revision: 19 November 1995 |
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Keywords: | Asymmetry Spider Lycosidae Sexual selection Male secondary characters |
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