Benefits of size dimorphism and copulatory silk wrapping in the sexually cannibalistic nursery web spider, Pisaurina mira.

Benefits of size dimorphism and copulatory silk wrapping in the sexually cannibalistic nursery web spider, <i>Pisaurina mira</i>

Benefits of size dimorphism and copulatory silk wrapping in the sexually cannibalistic nursery web spider, Pisaurina mira" (2016). Eileen Hebets Publications. Paper 54. For most males, reproductive success is dependent on the ability to acquire mates and successfully fertilize a female's eggs [1,2]. Research across diverse animal taxa has documented elaborate courtship displays and seemingly co...

Benefits of sexual size dimorphism and copulatory silk wrapping in the sexually cannibalistic nursery web spider ,

Increased insertion number leads to increased sperm transfer and fertilization success in a nursery web spider

Across animals, a male’s fitness is largely dictated by his ability to fertilize eggs; and there exists a plethora of male adaptations associated with increasing fertilization success. In the nursery web spider, Pisaurina mira, males restrain females prior to and during copulation by wrapping them with silk. Previous research demonstrates that copulatory silk wrapping reduces a male’s chance of...

Molecular studies of a novel dragline silk from a nursery web spider, Euprosthenops sp. (Pisauridae).

Various spider species produce dragline silks with different mechanical properties. The primary structure of silk proteins is thought to contribute to the elasticity and strength of the fibres. Previously published work has demonstrated that the dragline silk of Euprosthenops sp. is stiffer then comparable silk of Nephila edulis, Araneus diadematus and Latrodectus mactans. Our studies of Eupros...

Low-Tech, Pilot Scale Purification of a Recombinant Spider Silk Protein Analog from Tobacco Leaves

Spider dragline is used by many members of the Araneae family not only as a proteinogenic safety thread but also for web construction. Spider dragline has been shown to possess high tensile strength in combination with elastic behavior. This high tensile strength can be attributed to the presence of antiparallel β-sheets within the thread; these antiparallel β-sheets are why the protein is clas...