H2020Индивидуална стипендия2020–2023

Widow Spider Mating · Immature mating as a novel tactic of an invasive widow spider

„Хоризонт 2020“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2020-02-10 → 2023-05-09
Финансиране от ЕС: 233 435 €
Участници: 2
Схема: MSCA-IF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Кацането на мъжки паяци върху незрели женски от вида L. geometricus разкрива как тази тактика влияе върху размножаването и оцеляването им. Разбирането на този механизъм може да помогне за създаването на нетоксични методи за контрол на тези инвазивни паяци.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

Immature mating as a novel tactic of an invasive widow spider

Mating with immature females was previously considered impossible, as by definition only adult individuals were regarded sexually mature, possessing developed reproductive organs enabling them to copulate and reproduce. Nevertheless, in several widow species (genus Latrodectus) immature (subadult) females engage in copulation and, once reaching maturity, produce viable offspring. Although widow spider females are notoriously known for their cannibalistic tendencies, males are not attacked by subadult females. Apart from lack of cannibalism, immature mating is characterized by much-reduced courtship and, due to the lack of cannibalism, a higher number of insertions during copulation. However, other consequences of immature mating are not known. Within this project, we aimed to evaluate costs and benefits of immature mating in the brown widow spider L. geometricus. We explore the underlying behavioural and morphological mechanisms and its impact on male and female reproductive success in comparison to suicidal mating with adult females to identify trade-offs of both mating tactics and to help us understand how they evolved. This project mainly focuses on basic, fundamental research of behavioural and morphological aspects of immature mating. Considering the invasive nature and medical importance of the widow spiders, my investigation of this flexible mating system may help to lay groundwork for developing a non-toxic pest control tool based on mate attraction in future.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

Female widow spiders are frequently cannibalistic, but males of the invasive brown widow spider Latrodectus geometricus can avoid being eaten by mating with immature females that never attack their mating partners. Although immature females are generally assumed unable to mate due to the lack of developed external genitalia, in this species they readily mate and produce offspring at maturity. Nevertheless, despite the benefits arising from immature mating, males consistently prefer to mate with adult, cannibalistic females. Sexual cannibalism is generally considered detrimental for the male, but in L. geometricus it represents a male adaptive strategy which brings advantages in terms of lower female propensity to re-mate. Therefore, its lack in immature mating may come at cost of paternity loss due to female re-mating. I suggests a trade-off between mating rate and reproductive assurance. In the proposed project, I will test the hypothesis that immature mating is costly for the male. I will investigate the mechanism of immature mating as well as ultimate fitness consequences for the male in terms of paternity. I will use a multidisciplinary approach, combining state-of-the-art behavioural, morphological and molecular methods. Utilizing the expertise and infrastructure in two excellent institutions: University of Greifswald and University of Toronto, I will enhance international collaboration and knowledge transfer among research teams. At the University of Greifswald, mating systems are studied by a combination of behavioural and morphological approaches. Using advanced tools to study and visualize internal structures crucial for understanding reproductive biology, I will characterize the morphological mechanisms and structures associated with immature mating. At the University of Toronto, I will use established husbandry infrastructure and molecular techniques to determine behavioural correlates of paternity, and links to female reproductive output.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

UNIVERSITAET GREIFSWALD · GreifswaldКоординаторГермания
THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO · TorontoКанада