Individual differences in boldness influence patterns of social interactions and the transmission of cuticular bacteria among group-mates.

ABSTRACT: Despite the importance of host attributes for the likelihood of associated microbial transmission, individual variation is seldom considered in studies of wildlife disease. Here, we test the influence of host phenotypes on social network structure and the likelihood of cuticular bacterial transmission from exposed individuals to susceptible group-mates using female social spiders (Stegodyphus dumicola). Based on the interactions of resting individuals of known behavioural types, we assessed whether individuals assorted according to their behavioural traits. We found that individuals preferentially interacted with individuals of unlike behavioural phenotypes. We next applied a green fluorescent protein-transformed cuticular bacterium,Pantoeasp., to individuals and allowed them to interact w

SUBMITTER: Keiser CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4855390 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature