Condition-Dependent Female Aggression and Its Effects on Mating Success and Sexual Cannibalism in Jumping Spiders

Abstract

Pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism is an extreme form of aggression toward potential mates. In this study, we examined condition-dependent female aggression and its effects on mating success and frequency of pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism in the jumping spider Phidippus audax Hentz 1845. We examined two of the leading hypotheses of why sexual cannibalism may occur, (1) female mate choice and (2) adaptive female foraging. We separated 137 adult virgin female P. audax into three feeding treatments: (1) well-fed spiders, (2) 14-day food deprived, and (3) 28-day food deprived. We recorded weight loss (14- and 28-day treatments) and survival rates. We conducted mating trials to measure the proportion of non-aggressive and aggressive male and female behaviors, male mating success, and pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism. Females deprived of food had higher weight loss and lower survival rates than well-fed females. In addition, food deprived female spiders exhibited higher proportions of aggressive behaviors and pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism, and lower mating success compared to well-fed spiders. We found that as male size increased females were less likely to cannibalize males, but we found no effect of male body condition on whether a male mated with or was cannibalized by a female. Our results are consistent with the adaptive foraging hypothesis and corroborates prior research on pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism.