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Life-history data for the funnel weavers Eratigena agrestis and Eratigena atrica (Araneae: Agelenidae) in the Pacific Northwest of North America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2017

Samantha Vibert ,
Maxence Salomon ,
Catherine Scott Open the ORCID record for Catherine Scott [Opens in a new window] ,
Gwylim S. Blackburn  and
Gerhard Gries
Samantha Vibert*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
Maxence Salomon
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada Department of Biology, Douglas College, 700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, British Columbia, V3M 5Z5, Canada
Catherine Scott
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
Gwylim S. Blackburn
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
Gerhard Gries
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: vibert@sfu.ca).
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Abstract

The life history of the funnel weaver Eratigena agrestis (Walckenaer) (Araneae: Agelenidae) is not well studied despite its widespread occurrence in Europe and its establishment and spread in the Pacific Northwest of North America since its introduction in the early 20th century. We report phenology and life-history data for E. agrestis and another co-occurring funnel weaver, Eratigena atrica (Koch), in two study sites in British Columbia, Canada. The most notable difference in phenology between the two Eratigena species was the timing of emergence: E. atrica spiderlings emerge in the fall whereas E. agrestis spiderlings emerge in the spring. Surprisingly, the contrasting densities of E. atrica in the two study sites and the presence of the western black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin and Ivie (Araneae: Theridiidae), in one study site had little effect on the life history of E. agrestis. This unexpected finding may be explained by (i) low overall competition pressure in the study habitats, (ii) conspecifics and heterospecifics exerting equivalent competition or predation pressures; and/or (iii) aggregations of heterospecifics providing benefits that offset costs associated with any competition.

Type
Behaviour & Ecology
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 149 , Issue 3 , June 2017 , pp. 345 - 356
Copyright
© Entomological Society of Canada 2017 

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Footnotes

Subject editor: Christopher Buddle

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