Kleptoparasitism, the theft of sources from one other organism, is a widespread foraging technique amongst animals. Many Argyrodinae cobweb spiders (Theridiidae) are compulsory kleptoparasites which have deserted internet constructing, relying as a substitute on webs of bigger hosts (kleptotany). Principle predicts that kleptoparasites will not be randomly distributed amongst host webs and prior research point out that internet structure (measurement and tenure) and prey availability influence kleptoparasite abundance and host selection. This research is the primary to look at argyrodine biology in Madagascar and supplies an perception right into a multi-species endemic group of spider kleptoparasites and their in-situ distribution throughout contrasting host webs: Nephilingis (Nephilidae, giant nocturnal orb weavers), Caripetella (Pisauridae, giant nocturnal sheet internet builders) and Anelosimus (Theridiidae, small cathemeral social spiders developing 3D tangle webs). We discovered a putting range of 9 kleptoparasite species in six genera that, remarkably, will not be conspecific with the 5 species that had been beforehand identified from all of Madagascar. Kleptoparasite species composition and abundance diverse throughout the three hosts: some appeared host-specific, whereas others are versatile. Usually, argyrodine kleptoparasites evidently discriminate amongst hosts, however differ within the diploma of host desire. On the group stage, we speculate that species meeting into host webs includes a fancy interaction between host desire and species aggressive hierarchy. Future discipline analysis ought to examine this method as a group of a number of interacting species to realize a extra complete understanding of the foundations which will govern the meeting of various kleptoparasites into equally variable host webs.
Agnarsson I, Ramahefarison F-N, Matthíasdóttir H, Kudari L, Dagsson M, Baldursdóttir N, Bergsdóttir R, Halldórsdóttir R, Magnússon S, Björnsdóttir S, Gregorič M (2025) Which internet to invade? Argyrodine kleptoparasites differentiate amongst architecturally totally different host webs. Biodiversity Knowledge Journal 13: e172146. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.13.e172146
