Societies of Spiders Compared to Th E Societies of Insects'

Since the earliest studies of social behavior in spiders, their social structure has often bee n compared with that of social insects . A preliminary conclusion was that the degree of evolution o f spider societies was significantly lower than that found in insects . However, we wonder if the problem has been correctly posed . In light of Wilson's and Michener's works, enriched by those of the Frenc h School (Grasse, LeMasne), we accept the definition of insect societies with all the terms which seem necessary to characterize them, namely inter-attraction and its multiple consequences, socia l polymorphism and dominance . In our analysis, we evoke overlap of generations and the foundation of societies to demonstrate the inherent contradiction of comparing social behavior of insects an d spiders . The sociality of spiders, which actually seems to exclude the dominance and hierarchy o f individuals, is paradoxically catalogued among inferior societies . With insight gained from recent studies, we suggest here that social evolution in spiders has developed along a clearly alternate track , which has rarely been followed in the animal kingdom . This type of egalitarian society is difficult to achieve in nature, and thus it is quite rare; and social spiders, whose societies are based on this principle, represent in fact very few species .