The Use of Tuning Forks for Studying Behavioural Responses in Orb Web Spiders.

ABSTRACT: Spiders and their webs are often used as model organisms to study a wide range of behaviours. However, these behavioural studies are often carried out in the laboratory, and the few field studies usually result in large amounts of video footage and subsequent labour-intensive data analysis. Thus, we aimed to devise a cost- and time-effective method for studying the behaviour of spiders in the field, using the now almost forgotten method of stimulating webs with tuning forks. Our study looked at the viability of using 256 Hz and 440 Hz tuning forks to stimulate, anti-predatory and predatory responses in the orb web spider Metellina segmentata, respectively. To assess the consistency of the behaviours produced, we compared these to direct mechanical stimulation with a metal wire. The results

SUBMITTER: Davies MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9027978 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature