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9 July 2021 Day/night change in orientation of the orb weaver Azilia guatemalensis (Araneae: Tetragnathidae)
Gilbert Barrantes, John Angulo-Vásquez, Diego Carvajal-Cerdas, Angélica Ureña-Rojas, Jorge Zúñiga-Madrigal
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Abstract

Most orb weavers orient downward on their orbs, but here we describe an unusual pattern of orientation in the tetragnathid Azilia guatemalensis. This species changes its orientation on the hub with a consistent day/night pattern. During the day, the spiders orient upward on the orb, but orient downward during the night. In addition, we found that the spiders construct a few silk lines that connect the hub with a sparse mesh near the upper edge of the orb which, in turn, is connected to the substrate. When disturbed, the spider runs using these lines and hides on the substrate, suggesting that its upward orientation during the day, and its escape behaviour, may be a response to diurnal enemies.

Gilbert Barrantes, John Angulo-Vásquez, Diego Carvajal-Cerdas, Angélica Ureña-Rojas, and Jorge Zúñiga-Madrigal "Day/night change in orientation of the orb weaver Azilia guatemalensis (Araneae: Tetragnathidae)," Arachnology 18(8), 918-921, (9 July 2021). https://doi.org/10.13156/arac.2021.18.8.918
Published: 9 July 2021
KEYWORDS
Costa Rica
escape lines
spider orientation
web asymmetry
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