Life history trade-offs imposed by dragline use in two money spiders

摘要: Trade-offs among life history traits are central to understanding the limits of adaptations stress. In animals, virtually all decisions taken during expected have downstream consequences. To what degree rare, but energy-demanding, carry over individual performance is rarely studied in arthropods. We used spiders as a model system test how single investments silk use - for dispersal or predator escape affect performance. Silk produced safe lines and threads ballooning strongest kind energetically costly, especially when resources limited. induced dragline spinning two species money spider at similar quantities that under natural conditions tested trade-offs with lifespan egg sac production unlimited prey availability dietary restriction treatment. demonstrate strong between survival fecundity. Survival were additive those imposed by treatment, reduction eggs after was only prevalent where food restricted spider's life. Because draglines not recycled their escape, incurs substantial fitness costs dispersal, environments limitation. Rare costly related may thus adult explain phenotypic heterogeneity populations.