Exposure to cuticular bacteria can alter host behavior in a funnel-weaving spider

摘要: Contact with environmental microbes are arguably the most common species interaction in which any animal participates. Studies have noted diverse relationships between hosts and resident microbes, can strong consequences for host development, physiology, behavior. Many of these studies focus specifically on pathogens or beneficial while benign majority bacteria could be described, often ignored. Here, we explore nature grass spider Agelenopsis pennsylvanica collected from their cuticles situ. First, using culture-based methods, identified a portion cuticular bacterial communities that naturally associated spiders. Then, topically exposed spiders to subset monocultures estimate how exposure may alter 3 behavioral traits: boldness, aggressiveness, activity level. We conducted assays times before after topical application, compared changes observed each trait were sterile control treatment. 9 36 groups 20 1 4 bacteria. found Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis Staphylococcus saprophyticus was 10-fold decrease foraging aggressiveness toward prey web. Since did not survival hosts, data suggest interactions bacteria, even non-pathogenic