20.500.12556/DiRROS-20320 Nephila spider male aggregation preference for optimal female size and web clustering Nephila spider male aggregation: preference for optimal female size and web clustering Sexual size dimorphism theory predicts biased operational sex ratios (OSRs) and an uneven distribution of males among certain females. We studied this phenomenon through a field census of the giant wood spider Nephila pilipes (family Nephilidae) in Singapore, a species where females are, on average, 6.9 times larger than males. Specifically, we tested two hypotheses concerning male distribution, given their tendency to aggregate in certain female webs. The optimal female size hypothesis predicts that males would predominantly occupy webs of intermediate-sized females. The web clustering hypothesis posits that more males would be found in webs closer together compared to those farther apart. Our snapshot census revealed a female-biased OSR (females: males = 1.85) with an uneven distribution of males in female webs. Most males were found in webs of intermediate-sized females aligning with the optimal female size hypothesis. Proximity among female webs was indicative of male presence, lending support to the web clustering hypothesis. While our study's limited sample size warrants caution, we conclude that in N. pilipes, male occupation of female webs is facilitated by the clustering of webs, and males prefer to cohabit with optimally sized, receptive females. sexual size dimorphism operational sex ratios (OSRs) male distribution optimal female size hypothesis web clustering hypothesis female-biased OSR intermediate-sized females proximity of webs male aggregation arachnology behavioral ecology environmental zoology Nephila pilipes true false true Angleški jezik Latinski jezik Neznano 2024-09-03 14:08:34 2024-09-03 14:08:35 2026-03-05 03:54:06 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2024 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Soavtorji: Maj Kuntner, Eva Kuntner, Irena Kuntner, Jana Faganeli Pucer, Erik Štrumbelj, Daiqin Li; Članek v PDF formatu obsega 7 str.; Online first: 1 Sept. 2024; Opis vira z dne 3. 9. 2024; str. 1-7 2024 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2024-09-01 591 1749-4877 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.011 206219267 https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12896 0 7ff8444e-69dc-11ef-b487-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=28515 RAZ_Kuntner_Matjaz_2024.pdf RAZ_Kuntner_Matjaz_2024.pdf 1 6BF1CDE79BB719EB22F3B2B6F4EF1FF1 22a737ba25c1e900ce87ee9ddf53a0969515c4093cd246c3f07c0b44f792dd35 6cbf780d-179c-11f1-8c73-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=41228 Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo 0 0 0