Cuticular bacteria appear detrimental to social spiders in mixed but not monoculture exposure.

摘要: Much of an animal's health status, life history, and behavior are dictated by interactions with its endogenous exogenous bacterial communities. Unfortunately, between hosts members their resident community often ignored in animal behavioral ecology. Here, we aim to identify the nature host-microbe a nonmodel organism, African social spider Stegodyphus dumicola. We collected identified bacteria from cuticles spiders situ then exposed monocultures cultures via topical application or injection. also topically inoculated concomitant "cocktail" measured daily for 24 days after inoculation. Lastly, prey items capture webs spiders, fed domestic crickets which had been injected these bacteria. 1 species prey-borne into hemolymph spiders. Only Bacillus thuringiensis caused increased mortality when whereas no applied topically, relative control solutions. However, cocktail cuticular weight loss yet did not detectibly alter behavior. Consuming was associated elongated lifespan Thus, indirect evidence multiple experiments suggests that effects on survivorship appear contingent mode colonization whether they monoculture within mixed cocktail. urge follow-up studies should test across different contexts determine role microbes play colony performance.