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8 March 2024 Maternal regurgitation in Anelosimus baeza and A. nigrescens (Araneae: Theridiidae)
Maria de Fátima da Rocha Dias, João Vasconcellos-Neto, Carmen Viera
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Abstract

In the social behaviour of arthropods, regurgitation (feeding of the young) is a component of maternal care. In this paper, we describe regurgitation under laboratory conditions in species that share the same habitat, one subsocial (Anelosimus baeza) and a species considered to be solitary (Anelosimus nigrescens). The recently emerged spiderlings were fed by five of the nine A. baeza and six of the eight A. nigrescens females. In both species, the mother is critical in the initial stages, as spiderlings cannot feed themselves until the second instar. Our data suggest that A. nigrescens may be a subsocial species; this is the first report of regurgitation in these species. This fact shows the importance of regurgitation contributing to cooperation in live spiders. Future studies on maternal behaviour in these species are needed to elucidate the degree of sociality.

Maria de Fátima da Rocha Dias, João Vasconcellos-Neto, and Carmen Viera "Maternal regurgitation in Anelosimus baeza and A. nigrescens (Araneae: Theridiidae)," Arachnology 19(7), 962-965, (8 March 2024). https://doi.org/10.13156/arac.2024.19.7.962
Published: 8 March 2024
KEYWORDS
maternal behaviour
sociality
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